The Bag Snatcher
by Minaker
Summary: **Finished** When a homeless girl leaves Squall for dead, it starts of an unparralled chain of events that could lead to a second war, and a new age of darkness. But who is the girl Yannie, and why does Rinoa hate her enough to try to kill her? Read on...
1. Twilight

The Purpose  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It was now twilight in Fisherman's Horizon. The sun was beginning to set and the sky had turned a pinkish shade of orange. The sun was a sliver of red just beyond the horizon. Squall and Rinoa had had a good day. Squall had taken them on a weekend trip to Fisherman's Horizon, otherwise known as FH to locals. They had spent the day walking the streets, a bit of shopping and sat on the sea front. They ate lunch at a nice little café. The headmaster had given them both the weekend off as to enjoy their special occasion. Squall and Rinoa had been going out one year. Not only that, but it had been a whole year since they had fought and defeated the evil sorceress Ultimecia. Headmaster Cid never usually gave special leave to students, but this was a special case. Everyone had a lot to owe Squall and his five comrades. All of them had been through so much at such a young age, and often, they would wonder how they survived it all. And yet they did, and the proof was here, walking along the sea front, holding hands.   
  
"Squall?" asked Rinoa.  
  
"Yes?" he turned to face her and looked into those big brown eyes that held him for what seemed a lifetime.   
  
"Do you love me?" they stopped walking. The sea breeze gently cooled their faces, too late feeling the effects of mild sunburn.   
  
"Rinoa," he replied "you know I do."  
  
"Tell me you do." Squall paused. He began to blush.   
  
"But you know I do." he repeated.  
  
"A girl needs to hear it sometimes." Squall looked down at his hands. Then he noticed the Griever ring on his finger, the same as the one he had made for Rinoa, that she always wore around her neck. He loved her, of course he did. But to say it was completely another thing. Anyone in his past he had loved had abandoned him. He often wondered if he was cursed. His mother died bringing him into the world. His father, until recently, unknown, and had such not made any effort to contact him. His sister, the only person he could rely on when a child in the orphanage had disappeared when he was young. Many years later, they reunited, but there were still a lot of bridges needed building to repair the relationship. And now this. For the first time in his life, he was truly happy. And it scared him. He was used to being on his own. He didn't like to rely on people. You're by yourself, but you do your best. But now, he felt himself relying on Rinoa more and more. He didn't now what he would do without her. She was his rock, but what he didn't know was that he was hers. The worst thing he could imagine was being without her or her never knowing how he felt. He had to tell her. He would hate himself if he didn't.   
  
"Rinoa." He paused and looked her straight in the eyes, and took both of her small hands into his. "I love you." Tears sprang to her eyes. She knew how hard it had been for him to say it, but he did and she knew he meant every word of it.   
  
"I love you too." She fell into his arms, and they embraced. He had saved her life so many times before, and he asked for nothing in return. He was always there for her. Even tough he had trouble expressing how he felt; she knew what was in his heart.   
  
"Squall I was thinking, that tonight, it being our anniversary we could.... Ahhh!" Rinoa screamed. She had felt her shoulder be jerked backward by some force. She turned around to see a figure in a large green overcoat running away, taking her shoulder bag with her. "Squall!" she shouted. But before she could say anything more, Squall had unsheathed his Gunblade and was running down the street after the thief. Rinoa began to run too, but her shoulder had been badly bruised and maybe dislocated by the mystery bag snatcher. She fell to the floor in pain. She just hoped Squall would come back safe.  
  
Squall had been running for about thirty seconds when he caught up with the thief.   
  
"Stop, or I will be forced to take action!" he shouted, the mandatory SeeD warning. The thief began to run, this time even faster, and Squall had a challenge to try and keep up. But then the thief made one terminal error. Squall had the figure in the grey coat exactly where he wanted. Squall on one side, the sea on the other. They had no choice but to surrender.  
  
Squall grabbed their arm. He couldn't see the face, it being covered by the hood. "Right!" he yelled, this being one of the few occasions he lost his temper. "Hand over the bag." He pulled the hood of the coat down. What he saw surprised him. The thief was a teenage girl, no more than seventeen. Through the coat he could feel her skinny arms, and her face was thin, dirty and gaunt. Her chin length black hair was a mess. She had absolute terror in her eyes. For a moment, Squall actually felt sorry for this gutter rat, and then he thought of Rinoa, beautiful Rinoa. "I said give me the bag, and no-one gets hurt!"   
  
"Stay away from me!" she yelled. She threw the bag at him. "Have it, but please stay away from me!" Squall was not going to stand for this. He held on to her arm.  
  
"You're not getting away with this. You're coming with me, back to garden. They'll deal with you."   
  
"Please, stop it!" She began clawing at his arm, arms and legs flailing everywhere. "You'll get hurt!"   
  
"As if you could hurt me!" Squall replied.  
  
"I won't be able to control my actions. I swear, you'll get hurt. I don't want to hurt you! Let me go! Let me go!" Squall felt his hand tingle where he was holding onto the girl. Then energy surge through his body like electricity. He began to spasm wildly, unable to let go of her. The ground began to shake, and the walls of neighbouring buildings began rattling. Squall's eyes had gone back into his head the whites only showing. Rinoa ran around the corner, and saw what was happening. She ran over to Squall, but was propelled back by some sort of barrier. Unable to help, all she could do was watch.   
  
The sky clouded over and all around was dark. Thunderbolts shot out of the sky, surrounding Squall and the girl. Electricity encircled his body causing it to spasm even more. The girl had her eyes tightly shut and a look of terror on her face. Then it seemed as if his body became engulfed in flames. At the same time, a great wind had built up. It lifted Squall clean off his feet. The lightning subsided, the fire extinguished, and the wind died, and Squall was able to let go of her at last. He fell to the floor, barley conscious. Rinoa ran over, the invisible barrier now lifted. She knelt down, cradling Squall's head in his lap. He was unable to speak.   
  
"What did you do to him?!" She screamed at the girl.  
  
"I m sorry...I.I.warned him. I didn't mean to!" Before Rinoa could answer back, the girl ran away as fast as she could. Rinoa did not give chase. "Squall. Talk to me, are you alright?" Squall opened his mouth and tried to speak. "No, don't speak. We'll get you back to garden and fix you up."  
  
Squall managed to mumble "Rinoa..." and then lapsed into unconsciousness.   
  
  



	2. Solitude and Hope

Chapter 2  
  
The hours turned into days as Rinoa kept her bedside vigil besides Squall. Dr Kadowaki, the school doctor had been tending to him for six days now, yet he had not woken up. She kept telling Rinoa to keep hope, and that she was sure he would recover. But that was a lie. She knew his chances were slim. She'd never seen a student injured this badly. Whatever had happened to him, it was like no magic she had ever seen.   
  
Irvine, Zell, Quistis and Selphie all visited daily, in the hope that he had opened his eyes, but to no avail. But Rinoa was the only one who'd stayed nearly all the time. She wore a sling from where she had dislocated her shoulder from the mystery bag snatcher. The only thing that kept her going, and that gave her hope was that she would one day get her revenge on this girl for doing this to her Squall. She had never seen magic like this. Even Ultimecia had not been able to release this type of debilitating power. She didn't know who this girl was, but she swore that if she were still alive, she would kill her if she had the chance.  
  
Rinoa was asleep sat on a chair with her head on Squall's bed. Her good hand was holding his. Dr Kadowaki looked in, and sighed. "Poor girl." She said to herself. She didn't have the heart to admit to her the awful truth. That Squall may never wake up. She had been by his side every day, talking to him, reading to him from his favourite magazine, Weapons Monthly. She only ever left his side to eat, and that was not very often. She admired her spirit. She refused to give up hope. She wanted to show to him the hope and dedication he showed to her when she was truck by a similar fate.  
  
Quistis walked into the infirmary. She weakly smiled at Dr Kadowaki. "How is he?" she whispered  
  
"No change." She replied. She nodded toward Rinoa. "To tell the truth, I'm more worried about her." Rinoa stirred in her sleep.  
  
"I know" replied Quistis. "She never leaves his side."  
  
"The best thing for her would be to get some air, take a breather for a couple of hours. Can you try Quistis? Take her into Balamb for a while. It'll do her the world of good."  
  
Quistis sighed. "Ill try, but I bet she won't come." She walked over to where Rinoa was sat and gently shook her good shoulder. "Hey there." She said quietly when she opened her eyes. Rinoa immediately sat bolt upright.  
  
"What happened?" she looked at Squall, and saw to her dismay he was still unconscious. "Did I fall asleep?"  
  
"Just for a little while." said the Doctor.   
  
"Dammit! I have to be awake for him. What he wakes up and I'm asleep?" She began to stroke his hair out of his eyes.   
  
"Rinoa," began Kadowaki, "Quistis and I both think you need to get out for a while."  
  
"Yes," joined in Quistis "how about we pop into Balamb for a while and you can get some air?" Rinoa said nothing, she just continued stroking Squall's hair.   
  
"You need to get some exercise." Said Kadowaki. "Doctor's orders. That shoulder won't heal properly unless you start moving."   
  
"I can't leave him." She said "What if he wakes up and I'm not here for him? He'll be all alone." Quistis and Dr Kadowaki gave each other worried glances behind her back. Quistis mouthed "I told you" to her.   
  
"Rinoa..."   
  
"Look, I already told you. No!"  
  
"You have to get out." Protested Kadowaki.  
  
"No! You have to get out. You two obviously don't care about Squall."  
  
"Don't tell me I don't care about Squall!" Quistis shouted loosing her patience. Rinoa wasn't the only one who had had a tough time. "I've known him a hell of a lot longer than you have. If there's one thing I do its care too much!"  
  
"Then why do you want me to leave him on his own?" Rinoa shouted.  
  
"It'll only be a couple of hours."  
  
"He might wake up!"  
  
"He's never going to wake up!" as soon as the words left Quistis's mouth she regretted them. Rinoa walked up to her and slapped her round the face, hard.  
  
"Don't you dare say that you bitch!" Rinoa shouted. "He will wake up. And I'll tell you why. Because he's a fighter. He's not going to lay down and die. And so long as we are all there for him he'll get better just you wait and see. He'll show you all! He'll show you..." she fell on the floor and began sobbing. Quistis knelt down and hugged her. She began crying too.  
  
"Shhh. Shhh. Its ok, it'll be alright." Quistis tried her best to comfort Rinoa but she was inconsolable. Quistis had done her best to hide her fear over Squall, but now, she let down her defences, and let it all out. Rinoa wasn't the only one who loved Squall. Quistis in her own way loved him too. Except she loved him more like a brother than a lover.   
  
"I'm scared Quisty..." Rinoa mumbled.   
  
"Me too Rinny. Me too." She stoked her hair and rocked her gently. Dr Kadowaki exited the room and left the two women to console their differences.   
  



	3. Awakenings and Promises

Chapter 3  
  
It had been eight days since the incident in FH. Rinoa never left Squall's side. She was reminiscing about the times they had spent together. She remembered the first time they met, when she hired him to help her rebel cause in Timber. How he had rescued her from the Sorceress Memorial. She remembered the flower field they had declared their own. It never mattered to Squall that one day, the dormant Sorceress power inside her would ignite again and maybe she would even turn on him. He stood by her; her loved her for what she was now, not for what she might become. Even to the last Squall thought of others by chasing after that bag snatcher. Why didn't she stop him? Told him to forget about it? Then he would have been ok now. He would be walking and talking. But no, Squall had to be Squall didn't he. He couldn't let things be. He could never let anything go. He was that way with people, friends and enemies alike.  
  
She was holding his hand, and was about to give up hope, when something stirred her from her thoughts. She might have imagined it, she could not tell if it was real or not. She almost swore that his grip on her hand tightened very slightly. Almost not noticeable.  
  
"Squall?" She leant closer to him. "Can you hear me?" Her eyes began to fill up with tears. His face twitched ever so slightly. "Doctor!" She shouted. Dr Kadowaki was in her office filing through some papers. She got up and walked over to the cubicle Squall and Rinoa were in.   
  
"What is it? Is he alright?" Rinoa explained what had happened. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's probably just a nervous twitch."  
  
"No, it can't be."  
  
"Try not to get your hopes up" Kadowaki began to measure his pulse. "Things like this happen all the time when people are in a...hey wait a minute!"  
  
"What is it?" Rinoa said anxiously.  
  
"I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing."   
  
"What is?"  
  
"His pulse is speeding up."  
  
"What doe it mean?" Rinoa asked. That was when his eyes began to open. "Squall!"   
  
"Oh my" gasped the doctor.  
  
"R...R...Rinoa." He managed to say.   
  
"I'll go get the others." Kadowaki left the room. Rinoa's eyes were full of tears.   
  
"Oh, Squall, I new you'd be alright." She didn't bother to put on a façade. This was the happiest moment in her life. Her true love was alive and well.   
  
"What...what happened?" Squall asked, dazed and confused. "My head hurts"  
  
" Shh...Shh...In time, all in time." She gently ran her fingers through his hair. Just then Zell, Irvine, Quistis and Selphie burst through the door.   
  
"Is it true?" shouted Zell. "Is old Squally boy ok?"   
  
"Yes...he's going to be fine." Everyone crowded around the bed. Everyone was speaking at once, and Squall could not distinguish what anyone was saying. Kadowaki came in at this time.  
  
"Right everyone, out now please." She said. "I need to give him a physical examination and the all clear. Everyone left, except Rinoa who stayed a few extra moments, just holding his hand and staring into his eyes. Quistis came back in.   
  
"Rinoa, we can come back and see him later." She put her hand on her shoulder.   
  
"Tell me this is real. Tell me I'm not dreaming." She looked up at Quistis, red eyed and emotional.   
  
"No Rinny, its real. Squall will be ok." They hugged and left so that Kadowaki could carry out the examination.   
  
  
***********************************  
  
  
Squall's recuperation thereafter was very fast. Never being one to shy from a challenge, he was back to himself in no time. All the way, was Rinoa. She helped him to get back to the way he was. Meanwhile, she swore to herself that she would avenge Squall and find this girl.   
  
But she wasn't the only one interested in the bag snatcher. Late one night, Squall was walking around Garden and was heavily immersed in thought. What kind of gutter rat can exert such power? Why would she be living on the streets? Why was she so powerful? He decided he was going to take a trip into FH and try to find this girl.   
  
"Evening Squall." Said the doorkeeper. "Glad t'see your up an' about now after your incident." Squall had little time for chit-chat. The doorman kept talking anyway. "I'm tellin' you, must've been a strong opponent t'beat you. Where you be goin' to this late anyway?" Squall was getting agitated. He really wasn't in the talking mood. But the doorman was harmless.   
  
"Just getting some air."  
  
"Can y'tell me when you'll be back? Or that classified informatun?"  
  
"Late." Was all he said before leaving.   
  
"Tsk, some people jus' don't 'ave no manners."  
  
  
Squall caught the train to FH, which had recently been opened again and now ran all the way to Esthar. The streets were deserted in FH. Which made his search a lot easier. Luckily the first place he tried was where he found her. The train station. She was asleep under a pile of cardboard boxes in the waiting room.   
  
"Hey there." He said. Immediately she shot up. She was wearing the same green coat as before, but this time she had a grey woolly hat on.   
  
"Who are you? What do you want?" She said, scared. Squall wondered why a girl with such immense power was always so scared.   
  
"Remember me?" she looked at him through squinted eyes.   
  
"Its you, I thought I killed you."   
  
"Better luck next time." Squall paused. "I'm here because I have a few questions need answering. Firstly though. What am I to call you?" The girl looked dumbstruck. She struggled for words.   
  
"Yannie, Yannie Ocaspe."  
  
"Ok, Yannie, I want to know, what did you do to me?" Squall sat down beside her. "Please, tell me. I'm not mad with you. I'm just interested." That was a lie. Of course he was mad with her. She had almost killed him. But the only way he was going to get any information out of her was if he acted nice.  
  
"How do I know if I can trust you?" she asked.   
  
"You have my word. After what happened last time, I don't want to mess with you." Yannie curled up, her knees up by her chin. Squall looked at her. She needed a good bath, and a large meal. She was dangerously thin and gaunt.   
  
"I can't explain what happened. I can only tell you it has happened before."  
  
"Who to?"  
  
"Many." She replied. "I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"That's alright." Squall looked at the floor. "We've all got things in our past we'd rather not talk about."  
  
"Thank you." She half heatedly smiled.   
  
"So, who taught you magic?"  
  
"No-one, I've always, just been able to. I wish I didn't though."  
  
"Why?" Squall asked.  
  
"You saw what happened, I have no control over it. When ever I get emotional, or scared, I...I... well you know what happens."  
  
"Who is your GF?"  
  
"What's a GF?"   
  
"Guardian Force? The root of all magic?" Yannie had a blank expression on her face. "You don't know what I'm talking about do you?" she shook her head. Things started to make sense to Squall now. That's why he got hurt. She panicked, and he got caught in a kind of self-defence mechanism. That was why she always looked so scared. Not because she feared for herself, but she feared she may hurt others. Whatever the root of her powers was it certainly wasn't conventional.   
  
"I would like you to come with me." He said. "Come to Garden with me. We can help you there. We have people who can..."  
  
"No!" she shouted. I don't want to go!" The ground started to shake and the air tasted of electricity.   
  
"Look, you can't live the rest of your life in fear. Come with me, and we'll sort you out."  
  
"Please, don't..." plaster began to crumble of the ceiling. Squall spoke in the calmest voice he could muster.   
  
"Yannie, we don't want to hurt you, and we'll make sure you don't hurt anyone. I promise."  
  
"You promise?" The shaking became less violent.  
  
"I promise." He held out his hand.  
  
"Ok." She took his hand, and he led her to Garden.  



	4. Explanations Later

Chapter 4  
  
It was early in the morning, or late at night depending on your viewpoint. Rinoa had just exited Squall's room, after finding it empty and bumped into Irvine.  
  
"Hey Irve," she said. "Don't suppose you seen Squall anywhere?"   
  
"What, he's not in his room?"  
  
"No, I just checked in on him and he wasn't there."  
  
"Well, if I know Squall like I think I do, then he could be anywhere." Irvine shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'll help you look. He can't have got far." They searched the training centre, and all the dorms, the only two places open on a night, and found nothing. Afterwards, they called in on the doorkeeper.   
  
"Yeah, sure I seen 'im, bout three hour ago. Said 'e needed sum air, wos wot 'e said." He sighed. Rinoa was starting to get worried.   
  
"Did he say anything, like where he was going, or when he'd be back?"  
  
"Nope, wouldn't tell me nuf'in."  
  
"Thanks." Said Irvine, and they walked off.  
  
"Great," said Rinoa. "Squall is gone, we don't know where, why or when he'll be back. What can we do?"  
  
"Firstly," said Irvine, "you need to calm down. I'm sure Squall is just fine. Wherever he is, he is a trained SeeD. Remember that."  
  
"Being a SeeD didn't help him last time did it? What can we do?"  
  
"All we can do at the moment," Irvine took her hand "is be patient and wait for him. If he is still not back for sunrise, then we get help and go looking for him." They sat down on a bench near the entrance to Garden. "Anyway," said Irvine smiling "what were you doing sneaking into Squall's room late at night?"  
  
"Shut up and mind your own business." Was the snappy reply.  
  
************************************************  
  
Two hours later, Squall had not yet returned. Rinoa had fallen asleep on Irvine's lap and Irvine himself was almost asleep lolling back on the bench.   
  
Squall and Yannie just returned from FH and were entering the Garden when Rinoa awoke.   
  
"Squall!" she shouted. "Where were you?" Then she saw Yannie behind him. "What are you doing with that evil cow?!" Then, with all her strength she was about to cast a firaga spell and put an end to this unknown's life. But she was tackled to the floor by Irvine, and the spell missed Yannie by five foot, leaving a big black scorch mark on the marble floor.   
  
"Rinoa!" he shouted, "let her explain herself." Rinoa was trying to pull away from Irvine.  
  
"Let...me...GO!" Irvine finally let go of her and she gave him an evil look before brushing herself down. "Why the hell did you bring her here?" she cut a look to Yannie that would slice metal.   
  
"Allow me to introduce, Yannie Ocaspe." Yannie held out her hand. Rinoa ignored it. Irvine shook it. He then pulled Squall to the side.  
  
"Squall," he whispered in his ear. "What the hell do you think your doing?" meanwhile, Rinoa was death-staring Yannie, while she just looked at the floor. She had to control herself from just ripping her head of there and then. It wasn't just the fact she almost tried to kill her boyfriend. There was just something about her she couldn't quite put her finger on. "Did you loose your memory in that coma?"  
  
"It's not like that," he began. "She can't control it. She needs help."  
  
"Take her to a Doctor."  
  
"It's not medical. Let her explain. But not now. We all need some sleep." Squall moved in between Yannie and Rinoa. "There will be time for explanations in the morning. Now lets sleep. I know I'm tired." He looked at Irvine. "Irve, you escort Rinoa to the dorms. I'll take Yannie."   
  
"I can escort myself!" she shouted and stormed off in the opposite direction of the dorms before realising and storming back past the others, head held high.   
  
"Yikes." Irvine said to Squall. "Well I'm off then."  
  
"Tell the others to meet in the headmaster's office tomorrow at ten o'clock." He turned towards Yannie. "There's a lot of things need explaining." Yannie looked at the floor again. Irvine went back to the dorms.  
  
"I don't think I should be here." Yannie said meekly. "I don't think your girlfriend likes me."   
  
"Never mind about Rinoa, she'll come round. Just as soon as we explain everything to her."  
  
"That's the problem." She began to fiddle with her hands. "I don't think I can explain." Squall didn't know what to say. He just led her to a spare dorm and left her alone to freshen up and be alone with her thoughts.  



	5. Let Her Be

Chapter 5  
  
Squall, Yannie and Rinoa got very little sleep that night. Squall's head was filled with thoughts of this mysterious powerful Yannie, also, of how he could get Rinoa to listen to him. Yannie mostly was very scared. How many people would she hurt or kill today she wondered? Rinoa's mind was filled with hatred. What little sleep she did get was filled with dreams of murder, blood and decapitation. She woke up in a cold sweat. Her dreams disturbed her. She had never felt hatred for anyone else as much as she hated the so-called Yannie.   
  
It was ten minutes past ten o'clock the next day. Rinoa and Squall were sat at opposite ends of Headmaster Cid's office. The office had now moved to the other end of Garden. The Headmaster did not very much like his old office after they had learned to fly the thing. He thought it might have something to do with the fact it didn't have a ceiling. Quistis, Irvine and Selphie were sat around a coffee table, and Zell was propping up one of the walls. Yannie was sat in a chair in the corner. She had had a good wash and Quistis had helped brush the knots out of her hair. Selphie had leant her some of her clothes. They had asked Rinoa for a pair of her shoes to lend her, but she refused. She could almost pass as a student had it not been for her gaunt features and skinny limbs. Squall had the cafeteria crew make her a large breakfast, although she didn't much feel like eating, she was so nervous.   
  
It was at that point that Cid and his wife Edea walked in. All the SeeDs saluted. Yannie made a feeble effort to salute, but got her hands the wrong way round. She noticed the tall, thin woman, who was arm in arm with Cid. She looked vaguely familiar. Was probably nothing she told herself.   
  
"At ease," said Cid. He sat as his desk. Edea sat beside him in an armchair. "So, what was so dam important that called for an 'urgent' meeting?" he looked over to where the stranger was sat in he corner, curled up in a ball. "And who is this girl?" Squall stood up.  
  
"Sir, I would like you to meet Miss Yannie Ocaspe." Yannie walked over to the desk and stood there hands in pockets, face down at the floor.  
  
"Umm, Squall, can you tell me what this is all about?" Cid said, puzzled.  
  
"Miss Ocaspe here," he began, "is the girl who put me in the infirmary for a week."  
  
"Ah," said Cid. "The legendary bag thief. You pulled quite a number on my friend here." He leaned back in his chair, feet on table. "So, you want the disciplinary committee to take action, is that it?"   
  
"No!" Squall said, dismayed at Cid's lack of empathy. "She needs our help." Cid said nothing for a moment. Then he said,   
  
"Ok, let me get this straight. She almost killed you right?" Squall nodded. "And you are telling me, that she needs our help?" Again, he nodded. Yannie looked up briefly. She looked Cid straight in the eyes, then looked back down at the floor. "So, Miss Ocaspe..."  
  
"Yannie." She spoke for the first time. "Call me Yannie. Please."  
  
"Yannie, explain yourself. Why do you need our help? And give me one good reason why I shouldn't have the disciplinary committee come right in here now and take you to the D-District Prison?"  
  
"I didn't mean to do any harm. I am truly sorry for hurting Mr. Leonheart." She looked up.  
  
"Then why did you hurt him, hey? You know you almost killed our topped ranked SeeD?" He sighed and wiped his brow. "On second thoughts, I don't care what your reasons are. I'm calling the DC." He pressed a button on the intercom and said, "Seifer, Raijin, Fujin, can you come up to my office right away please, I repeat..." he was stopped short by Squall who pressed the 'off' button.   
  
"Please, sir, at least hear her out." He looked Cid straight between the eyes. A small-scale battle of wills took place. The room became full of tension. Eventually, Squall won. Cid spoke into the intercom. "Disciplinary Committee, cancel that last request, I repeat, Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin, your assistance is no longer required. Thank you."  
  
"Thank you." Said Yannie, under her breath.   
  
"You've got five minutes to explain yourself." He stood up from his chair and walked around to the front of his desk.  
  
"I'm not sure if I can explain."  
  
"You better try." Cid interrupted.   
  
"Sir," protested Squall, "Let her finish."  
  
"Very well. Go ahead."  
  
"Like I said, I don't know if I can explain. I've always just had this power. I can't control it. When I get scared or angry, or panicked, it.... it, takes over. I always hurt someone. I don't know why I have this power. But I do. And I don't want it. I don't want it any more." Her bottom lip began to quiver and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry." She sniffled. "But I don't know what to do anymore. Mr Leonheart told me that you could help me. If you want me to leave, I will, and you'll never see me again. If you want to send me to the prison, I'll go. Do with me what you will. 'Cause I'm passed caring what happens to me anymore." The room was silent for a minute or so. Zell was the first to speak.  
  
"How come you were living on the streets? Don't you have a home? Family?"  
  
"I don't got no family." She looked up. "I've lived on the streets for many years. I think I remember having a home once. But they kicked me out. I don't think they could handle me."  
  
"Where were you born?" asked Selphie.  
  
"I honestly don't know. I have no memories of my childhood. I don't know who my parents are or even if they are still alive."  
  
"So you've been on you own all this time?" asked Selphie.  
  
"Pretty much. I cope on my own. I did have a friend once. Her name was Kira. We were such good friends. She made me feel normal. We looked out for each other. We were like sisters. I loved Kira like a sister. But that all changed when we got into an argument, like friends do. Except...she...I...I didn't mean to kill her. She stole my last piece of bread. I should've just let her have it. But I was so hungry." She began to cry, but composed herself and carried on. She turned to Rinoa. "That's why I stole your bag. I hadn't eaten in days, I thought you might have some money. I am so sorry." Rinoa said nothing. Irvine nudged her, prompting her to accept her apology.   
  
"Whatever." She said reluctantly at last. "It's OK I suppose."  
  
"Thank you." She sighed, and resumed her inspection of the floor. Cid sat in silence for a few minutes, before saying,  
  
"So, what are we to do?"  
  
"That," began Squall, "is up to you."   
  
"I think there is no doubt that this girl needs help. But I'm not so sure that this is the place she can receive it." Rinoa smirked.  
  
"Where else can she go?" Cid pondered this for a while. Yannie stared at her hands, not liking all the attention she was receiving. All her life, she had done her best to avoid attention, and now to have it thrust upon her was unsettling.   
"I suppose there is no harm for her to stay for now. But I want her under constant supervision. I don't want a repeat performance of what happened." He walked towards Yannie, and lifted her chin with his hand. She looked him straight in the eyes. "I swear, you harm anyone in this institution, I don't care if you can control it or not, your out. You understand? Out!" Yannie nodded. "I have other business to attend to. Squall, can I trust you to take care of our guest?"  
  
"Yes sir." Rinoa grimaced. Had he forgotten what she did to him?  
  
"Well then. On your head be it should anything happen. Class dismissed." The class saluted. Yannie didn't even bother this time. Cid exited the room, Edea trailing behind. Before she left, she turned and looked at Yannie. Once satisfied, she left.  
  
  
**************************  
  
Edea sat in her room removing her makeup. Old habits die hard she thought to herself. She still wore as much makeup as she did when a sorceress.   
  
Her mind was filled with thoughts of Yannie. Was it true? Was she the same girl? It couldn't be. But why couldn't it? Of course, if it was, she has grown up a lot. Could she be sure it was she? Yannie was a very popular name, assuming it was her real name of course. No. It's definitely not the same girl.   
  
But that power. It couldn't be possible. Could it? Edea hoped it was. But one could never be sure. She considered telling Cid, but decided against it until she knew for sure. If it was, she was filled with emotion. But it wasn't her, she decided. It would be too coincidental, for her to turn up here. No. Definitely not.  
  
But a small part said, maybe...just maybe...  



	6. The Test

Chapter 6  
  
Squall was true to his word. He always ensured that Yannie was never alone. A fully qualified SeeD was always with her. They were under strict conditions to speak in quiet tones and not scare her at all. She was never to go out of their sight. She was also allowed free access of garden, except for the training centre, which Squall did more for the safety of the monsters there rather than for her.  
  
Squall was in the library looking for a book on weapon maintenance when Rinoa found him.  
  
"Squall, I want a word."  
  
"Sure." He went to kiss her, but she flinched away. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Let's go outside." She walked out. Squall, puzzled, followed. '  
  
"Rinoa, what is this about?"  
  
"I think you know what this is about." She turned and looked down at the pool that circled the inner area of Garden. "Yannie." Squall sighed.  
  
"Haven't we already been over this? You are the only one who has a problem with her."  
  
"I know, but I just don't like her." She turned to face Squall.  
  
"You heard what she had to say. You know that deep down she is a good person. If I can forgive her for what she did, surely you can too? You got to give her a chance. She's not the evil girl you make her out to be."  
  
"Maybe not." She ran her fingers through her hair. "But there is just something about her. I don't know what it is, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Something, not quite right."  
  
"You're being paranoid" Rinoa was silent for a moment. Then she said  
  
"I don't know." She looked away. "I don't know what to believe anymore. Ever since I was taken over by the sorceress power, I doubt myself."  
  
"I don't doubt you." He took her hand. "I don't care what happens in the future. I'm here now."  
  
"Then do one thing for me."  
  
"What?" He honestly believed that he would do anything for her.   
  
"Send her away." She said. "I don't care where, but away from me. I bet Odine labs would have a field day with her. Just send her away. Please. For me?" Squall was amazed. He had never seen Rinoa act this way. He thought she would have more compassion, especially considering that her and Yannie both shared the same traits, uncontrollable power.   
  
"I don't believe you!" Squall said, trying not to shout. "I can't send her to Odine, to be tested on like a lab rat. You of all people should know how that feels." He wiped his brow. "I'm sorry, no, I can't do it. Rinoa, you know I'd do anything for you, but not this. You understand don't you?"  
  
"Fine, it's a simple choice then!" she shouted, not bothering to lower her voice. "Me or her?"   
  
"Rinoa..." Squall said nothing for a moment. "Please don't make me choose..." He could feel her eyes boring right through his head.   
  
"You shouldn't have to think about it." She stamped her foot on the ground. "Why are you being like this. Just get rid of her!"  
  
"Rinoa, what has got into you?" even when she was possessed, he never saw her act like this.   
  
"Do it!" she wasn't even bothering to lower her voice. Squall said nothing. He could almost swear he saw her eyes flicker with gold. "Fine, that's it. We are through!" she stormed of in the direction of the entrance.   
  
"No! Rinoa..." he stood there dumbfounded. Crowds of people had gathered around and were watching in anticipation. "What are you all looking at?! Group dismissed!" He sat down on a bench head held in hands. The people were still stood there. "Did you hear me? I said GO!" The crowd dispersed, and Squall was left alone. All alone.  
  
*******************************  
  
Yannie had been at Garden for about a week. She had put on a few desperately needed pounds, and her general appearance was more tame, and clean. Squall and the team had looked after her well. She was never alone, which she thought could be a pain sometimes, but generally, she didn't mind. The only thing that had not been tamed was the power that she held within. She sometimes felt it building when she became stressed, and had to often sit alone as to not let the volcano erupt. The kind Doctor, what was her name, Kado... something? had checked her over, and try to determine the cause of her problem. But she was just a general practitioner, not nearly trained enough to deal with this type of disorder.   
  
Earlier in the week, Squall had taken her to the Quad. There was lots of space here, and he assumed that she couldn't do too much damage. He made sure that no one was around. Then he asked her to do her worst magically to a mannequin he had made. She had tried and tried, but she couldn't even get a spark of electricity. She was about to give up when two younger classmen walked by.   
  
"Hey look, there's that freak girl!" shouted one of them, loud enough that she could hear them.   
  
"Yeah, she is such a loser!" sniggered one of them. "I bet you she can't do magic. I bet it's a lie."   
  
"I don't know why she is here." Replied the other. "This place is for REAL magic users." Yannie could feel her anger rising, and also her power. She turned and focused on the dummy.   
  
"What a chicken wuss!" She could feel the energy rising, sending wave upon wave of heat through her body.  
  
"I hope that she 'magics' herself to death." She shut her eyes and tried to focus the power on the dummy.  
  
"Loser!" Bolts of pure energy shot out from her fingers. Try as she may though, it ran wild. Fire, lightning, ice, wind, randomly spreading everywhere. She tried to get it to attack the dummy, but failed. Once the storm had subsided, she fell to the floor.  
  
"Its no good." She mumbled. "I can't control it." Squall did not hear her. He was in a state of shock. He walked over to the two boys. She couldn't hear what he said, but saw him hand over some coins of Gil. So, it was a set-up. She didn't know whether to feel betrayed or whatever. Squall took her by the hand and led her to her room. Afterwards she became very depressed.   
  
Yannie was close to despair and had almost given of hope of a cure when she received a small parcel.   
  
The door knocked.  
  
"Come in." she answered. In walked a young SeeD by the name of Gered. He had been assigned to 'Yannie Duty' as they had now duped it.   
  
"Miss Ocaspe," he began, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I had a parcel for you."  
  
"Huh?" Yannie was confused. She had never in her life received even a letter and now someone had sent her a parcel. "Who is it off?" Gered looked at the medium sized box he held in his hand.   
  
"Don't say." He handed it to her. On the top of the box were written her name and the address of Garden in gothic pointy handwriting. She sat and looked at it on her lap. "You gonna open it?"  
  
"Could you leave me alone please." Gered looked disappointed. He sighed and walked to the door of Yannie's dorm. Before he left, Yannie said, "Thank you."  
  
"Anytime." was the reply as the young blonde haired man walked out and shut the door. Yannie did nothing for a few minutes. All the possible scenarios ran through her head. What if it was a bomb? She knew very well that there were a lot of people out there who wanted her dead. But they wouldn't send it here. Not with all these other people. Would they?   
  
She decided to take her chances and opened the box. What was inside was a surprise.   
  
It was a large silver bangle. It was Six inches long, and looked as if it would cover most of the forearm. On second thoughts, perhaps it is some sort of armour. It had small circles of clear glass in it. She just looked at it, debating weather to try it on. She had come this far, she thought. Why not go for it.   
  
She was about to put it on, when she noticed a note at the bottom of the box. It was written in the same hand as the address.  
  
"Everyone has a purpose. Find yours."  
Everyone has a purpose? Find yours? What did that mean? Well thinking about it won't get answers. She opened the clasps and slid her arm into the metal bangle. Immediately, the clasps shut with a 'click'. She panicked and tried to get it off. But it wouldn't budge. The whole of her left forearm was now covered in metal. The small clear circles of crystals were now glowing different shades. Some were blues, some red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, green, every colour in the spectrum was contained in these crystals.   
  
Surprisingly, it felt very comfortable. It fit her arm exactly. As if it had been made for her. She felt different too. Somehow calmer, once the panic had worn off. In a way she felt in control. She needed to see someone, preferably Squall, and soon.   



	7. Shame on You

Chapter 7  
  
Yannie was sat on her bed in her dorm. Idly, she was gazing out of the window over the scenic Balamb countryside. He mind was full of thoughts. She would go see Squall later, she decided. She needed time to get her head straight, and figure out what she would tell him. She liked Squall. He always put on an act, but she knew that deep down, a part of him longed to not be alone. She didn't know it yet, but she was starting to really like him. More than a friend. Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door.   
  
"Who is it?" She shouted.  
  
"It's Rinoa." Yannie immediately became suspicious. She wasn't stupid. She picked up on the hostility Rinoa had shown towards her. She debated whether or not she should let her in. What harm could she do her? She was more worried how she could hurt Rinoa. Fine, she may not like the girl, but she wouldn't want to kill her. She opened the door.  
  
"Hey there." Rinoa smiled.  
  
"Hey Rinoa."   
  
"Can I come in?"   
  
"Uh," Yannie stuttered for a moment. "I suppose. Come in."  
  
"Thanks." She cam in and Yannie shut the door.   
  
"Please, do sit down." Rinoa smile and sat down on the bed. Neither said anything for a while, then, Yannie said "So, did you want something?"  
  
"Oh, nothing just checking in on our guest. How are you?"  
  
"Um, fine, I guess." She hid her armoured left arm behind her back. "How are you?"  
  
"Fine, fine." Neither said anything for a while. Rinoa got up from the bed and walked to the window. She looked out of the venetian blinds. "Ya' know, I love this place." She said.   
  
"It is nice." Yannie agreed.   
  
"Hey look over there!" Rinoa pointed out the window.  
  
"What is it?"   
  
"Come have a look." Cautiously, she walked up to the window. She couldn't see anything.  
  
"I cant see anyth..." she was cut short by Rinoa who turned and punched her in the face, hard enough to knock her on the floor. "Ah!" she cried out. Rinoa grabbed her mouth to stop her from screaming.  
  
"Is everything alright in there?" Gered asked outside the door.  
  
"We're fine, just knocked over a book." She held on and dragged her to the bed. Yannie was petrified. Where was Squall or Gered when you needed them? She tried kicking, but Rinoa was much stronger than her. Rinoa ripped of a piece of bed sheet and tied it on her like a gag. She tore of some more pieces and used these to tie her hands to the bed. Yannie was defenceless.  
  
"Little Miss Magic is about to get a taste of her own medicine."  
  
**************************  
  
  
"Have you seen Rinoa anywhere?" Squall asked one of the junior classmen.  
  
"Last time I saw her, she was walking towards the dorms."  
  
"Oh no!" he said. "Rinoa, don't do anything stupid!" He ran as fast as he could toward the dorms. Gered was stood guarding Yannie's door.   
  
"Have you seen Rinoa?" he asked out of breath.   
  
"Sure Sir. She just went in about five minutes ago. Said they were not to be disturbed." Squall tried the door handle. The door was locked.  
  
"Stand back!" he shouted at Gered. Gered obliged, and Squall made himself into a human bettering ram. The door didn't move the first time, the second time, it swung wide open with a clatter.  
  
*******************************  
  
Rinoa summoned all the strength she could muster. She had everything planned out. She would cast thundaga on Yannie. Then remove the evidence. It would all look like an accident. Yannie had accidentally killed herself.   
  
She was about to cast the spell when the door swung open. She saw Squall there. Dammit she thought to herself. He always ruins everything I do.  
  
"Rinoa! No!" He was shocked and appalled. He knew she had been acting strange recently, but this was beyond strange. "What the...?" He saw Yannie tied to the bed, gagged and Rinoa about to cast a spell. Thundaga, he could sense it.  
  
"What is this?" Cid came running in. "What's all the commotion?" he stopped at the door, stunned into silence. Then he said, almost a whisper, "Dear Lord." He grabbed Rinoa by the arm and forcefully pushed her outside. He then went to Yannie's bedside. "Are you ok?" he asked as he removed her bonds?" she nodded. Tears in her eyes. "Gered, take care of Yannie."  
  
"Sir!" Cid exited the room and Squall followed.   
  
******************************  
  
Rinoa stood, back against wall. Squall paced the floor. Cid sat in an armchair. Head in hands deciding on the next course of action. Never in his many years had he dealt with a situation such as this. He decided not to get the disciplinary committee involved. Eventually, he snapped, stood up and broke the silence.   
  
"Just what the hell do you think you were doing?!" Cid shouted. Rinoa did not answer. "Are you hearing me?" Rinoa burst into tears and ran to the door, but Squall blocked her way before she could escape. "We will not accept this kind of behaviour in garden you hear?" unfazed by her emotional outburst. "I should send you straight to D-District right now!"  
  
"Sir..." said Squall.  
  
"But...taking into account your past," he sighed, and fell back in his chair. "I'm just going to discharge you from Garden."  
  
"No!" Rinoa and Squall both shouted at the same time.  
  
"It is the only course of action. I'll phone Caraway and tell him to pick up his daughter."  
  
"Ok, discharge me, but don't send me to my father!" protested Rinoa.  
  
"Unless you want to be sent to D-District, I suggest you do what I tell you. I'm not having you left unsupervised." Rinoa fell to the floor. She loved Garden. It was the only place she had ever felt part of a community. She had real friends here. She had acted stupid she knew that. She couldn't explain why she did what she did. She wanted to stay more than anything, but only if a certain person wanted her to.  
  
"Squall...?"   
  
Squall said nothing. He had his back turned and was staring at the window.  
  
"If you don't want me here, I'll go." Still no reply. "Squall...?" He turned to face her.  
  
"Honestly. I don't know what I want." You're not the same Rinoa he thought. He always said that he would always stand by her. But it was hard to stay true to that when he had witnessed what he had today.   
  
"Ok...I'll leave then." Cid picked up the phone and began to dial General Caraway's number. "I'll always love you Squall." She said through tearful eyes. Squall said nothing and turned away toward the door. Under his breath he whispered.  
  
"Not as much as I'll always love you." He left the room, fearing this would be the last time they saw each other. He walked to his dorm. As soon as he was inside he locked the door, shut the curtains, lay on his bed and cried until he fell asleep.  
  
********************  
  
Gered was comforting Yannie in her dorm. Her nose was bleeding, and she had the beginnings of a black eye. He had his arm around her shoulders.   
  
"I am so sorry." He said. I should never have let her in."  
  
"Its ok." She sniffled. "You weren't to know."  
  
"I'll take better care of you in the future."  
  
"I'll take better care of myself." She looked up at him.  
  
"Let's take you to Kadowaki. She'll fix you up good." Yannie liked Gered. Of all the people put on to guard her, he was her favourite. He wasn't particularly good looking, but had a way about him that made her feel comfortable about him.   
  
"Thanks." She said, and patted him on the hand.  
  
"One thing I don't quite understand." He said. "I bet you were real scared?" She nodded. Then she saw where he was coming from.   
  
"I didn't...I should have but..." she looked at the armour on her left arm. What was it, and what had it done to her? Did it take her power away she wondered to herself.   
  
"We'll think about that later." He stood up and held out his hand. "Let's take a walk to the infirmary." Yannie smiled and took his hand.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. The Fire Cavern

Chapter 8  
  
Finally, for the first time in her life, Yannie felt as if she had some direction. She knew what she was going to do. She talked it over with Cid, and since she now controlled her power, they had decided to let her stay at Garden, and train to become a SeeD. Cid wouldn't admit that it was for selfish reasons. He saw her potential, and wanted her on his team.   
  
She studied hard. She spent much of her free time hunched over a book in the library in or in the training center. However, she easily defeated every opponent she faced. One strike of her magic and they were out for the count. She has also chosen a weapon, even though she didn't need one. She had opted for a traditional double mace. They had leather handles about a foot long and a chain the same length. The mace itself was the size of tennis ball, and had numerous spikes on its surface, about an inch long. Garden rules were that a student could not rely on magic alone, or for that fact weapons alone. A student has to have skills in both areas. Yannie had chosen the double mace for the reasons that it was easy to use, and could cause a lost of damage in close combat where it would be hard to use magic.  
  
It was one week before she was due to take her SeeD exam. She had already passed the written exam with flying colours. She seemed to learn very quickly, and whatever she tried her hand at she was good at. She had made a few friends at Garden, and hoped that these friendships would not end like her last one. She often thought about Kira, the friend she had killed all those years ago. She prayed it would never happen again. One of the friends she felt a distinct affinity with was Gered. She no longer needed looking after, but he still hung around her.   
  
Today was the day Quistis took Yannie to the fire cavern. It would be a simple procedure, especially for Yannie. Go in, cast some ice spells and beat a GF. She was still nervous. Battling monsters in the training center was one thing, but this was for real. She had prepared well though, and everyone had confidence in her. Her preparation differed somewhat from the other students. She needed to draw no magic, as if she had an unlimited stock of every spell, including high level spells such as aura and meltdown. Selphie, a strong magic user herself had been helping her develop her limit breaks. She also was amazed at how fast she learned. Yannie's life was better than it had ever been.  
  
Squall's on the other hand was terrible. He had never felt so down in his life. He missed Rinoa terribly. He had tried contacting her, but every time he picked up the phone, he lost his nerve. What would he say to her? The one time he had let the phone ring, General Caraway picked up. He sounded strange, as if he was trying to hide something. He said Rinoa wasn't in. Squall could see right through it. If she didn't want to talk to him, why didn't she just say so? He spent much of his free time in his room, and rarely left. What was the point without Rinoa? She was the only one who understood him. She brought him out of his shell. Without her there, he regressed back to his old moody self. Irvine had tried to get him to come into Balamb one night. He snapped an angry "No!" and slammed the door in his face. They were all worried about him, but decided it would be best if he was just left alone.  
  
Yannie stood and looked in the mirror of her dorm. She was wearing her new blue SeeD cadet uniform. It felt a but uncomfortable, but she would get used to it. She examined the detailed silver stitching on the cuffs and about the hem on the skirt. She saw her name in silver stitching on the shoulder- "Yannie Ocaspe". After what she had been used to wearing, she felt a bit conspicuous in something so elegant and well made. Her weight was now that of what should be expected of a seventeen-year-old. She had more colour in her cheeks, and her face was less pale and gaunt. She had had a hair cut, and her straight hair was now cut into a chin length choppy bob that flicked out a bit at the sides and back. She had now been at Garden for about six moths, and it had been five months since the Rinoa incident. Even she had noticed how odd Squall had been acting since she left. She often thought about Rinoa. Why did she hate her so much? Enough to try to kill her she thought. She was still looking for answers. She had no idea who had sent her this armlet. She didn't even know how to remove it. Frankly, she didn't want to. Whatever it was, and whomever it was from, it gave her the much-needed control, and that, she thought, can not be a bad thing.   
  
There was one big question that loomed heavy on her mind. "Who am I?" She asked herself all the time, was not any closer to finding the truth. She wished she knew someone who could tell her. But she feared that this would be one answer she would need to work out for herself.   
  
There was a knock at the door. It was Quistis.  
  
"Yannie, it's time to go now." She opened the door. Quistis, a good judge of character, could immediately tell that she was nervous. "Are you ready?"  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be." She brushed herself down.  
  
"That uniform really suits you."  
  
"Thanks, but I'm not so sure." She tugged at her skirt.  
  
"Don't be stupid." She gave her one of her warm smiles. "But I'll tell you what I think would look even better."  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"A proper SeeD uniform." Yannie looked up and smiled.  
  
"Yeah, I think so too." They both chortled.  
  
"Lets go." Said Quistis. "Those monsters don't wait forever." They made their way to the main gate.  
  
**************************  
  
The fire cavern was not at all like Yannie had imagined it. She had thought it to have a grand entrance, engraved into the rock, in the style of a gothic archway. Not a small cave opening in a cliff side. There were no longer any Garden Faculty guarding the entrance, as Cid had dismissed them all after the infamous NORG incident.  
  
"Is this it?" Yannie asked puzzled.  
  
"Not quite what you were expecting was it?" Yannie shook her head. "Are you sure your ready for this?" She nodded. "How is your status?"  
  
"One hundred per-cent."   
  
"Perfect. Let's begin." Quistis unravelled her whip and Yannie unhooked the clasps on her belt and removed the double maces. With one in each hand, she followed Quistis through the entrance.   
  
The first thing to hit Yannie was the heat. It was like opening the door to an oven. She could hear the bubbling of the lava pools and a terrible sulphur smell like rotten eggs. It was dark inside, and it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the light. She then saw her target destination. It seemed so far away, and she had only ten minuets to reach it. Her first instinct was to run away, but then she thought about all the training she had received. She had junctioned Blizzard to her elemental attack and Fire to her elemental defence. She could cope. If Quistis believed in her, she could believe in herself.   
  
The first monster they came up against was a Bomb. It floated in the air, prepared to strike.   
  
"Remember what I told you about elements?" asked Quistis.  
  
"Fire and Ice are opposites." She replied.  
  
"So...?"  
  
"Attack Fire based monsters with Ice."   
  
"Go on then." Yannie was extremely apprehensive. This was the first real monster she had faced. There was a real chance she could get hurt if she failed. She summoned up her strength and let loose with a triple Blizzaga, all at the same time. The monster didn't stand a chance. It fell to the floor   
  
"Um, Yann..." Quistis bit her lip. "Ever heard of overkill?"  
  
"Sorry." She smiled. She was so relived. She had won her first battle. She felt as if she could take on the world.   
  
They continued through the cavern. Quistis needed to do anything. Yannie obliterated every opponent they came up against. They had reached the target with six minuets to spare. Plenty of time Quistis thought, to beat this boss.  
  
Yannie knew what she had to do. She walked up to the lava pit and shouted  
  
"I wish to challenge you!" Out from the pit came a huge demon like creature. He had scaly skin and horns. His big red menacing eyes glared at Yannie. Floating in the air he shouted  
  
"Who dares disturb Ephret?" Ephret was actually a distant relative of Ifrit, whom Squall had already defeated and had as an ally. He looked at Yannie. "You!" he fell to the floor. Yannie and Quistis both looked shocked.  
  
"Wha...?" She looked at Quistis. "I thought I had to fight him." But Quistis had passed out on the floor. Yannie tried to move towards her, but she was rooted to the spot. Ephret was on his knees in front of Yannie.  
  
"Allow me explain." Came the booming reply from this disgraced demon. "You do not need to fight me."  
  
"Why not?" he lifted up his mighty head.  
  
"Because I feel the power you conceal."  
  
"How can you tell?" asked Yannie, shocked.  
  
"Us GFs are mostly pure energy, manifested into a sentient being. Being made of power, we can sense power."  
  
"So why won't you fight me?" Yannie tried to step forward but was still immobilised.  
  
"You don't need me. Your future will take a different path than you intend."  
  
"How?"  
  
"One should not know ones own future. We all have a purpose to find. Each man must find their own in time." There it was again, her Purpose. "I have been sentient for many thousands of years, and countless generations. I always believed that you would come. You will serve a great purpose. Everyone has a purpose, some greater than others, but none the less important. If I tell you yours, your life will not take the path intended for you, and thus, your life will be a waste."   
  
"How do you know all this?"  
  
"We live on a separate plane from mortals. There is no time, nor space. Yet time and space is everywhere, and nowhere. We see the past, the present and future. Mortals can not comprehend the dimension we live in."  
  
"What is my purpose?" she shouted out.  
  
"I must go now. Take the path destined for you. You have no understanding of your importance."  
  
"Wait! Come back!" But the great beast had gone, disappeared into the pit from whence he came.   
  
"What just happened?" asked Quistis, rubbing her had, sat on the floor.   
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." They both walked out of the fire cavern, Quistis assured that Ephret was not going to battle them.  
  
When outside, Yannie asked "Did I pass?" Quistis did not answer. She looked puzzled.  
  
"I don't know." She rubbed her head. "I think so."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. Breifings

Chapter 9  
  
It was the day of the SeeD field exam. Yannie was the only person taking the exam, so the mission she was sent on was not a very large scale one.  
  
Quistis and fellow instructor Xu were sat in the briefing room of the Garden's spaceship Ragnarok now their legal possession as a gift from the Estharian Government. Nida would be flying it in the cockpit. On the table were lay maps and pieces of paper. It was a six-person mission, Quistis and Xu staying aboard the ship. The team of six would be Squall, Irvine, Selphie, Zell, Gered, and Yannie making up the sixth member. Squall had fully returned back to his old moody self. At least he was out thought Quistis.  
  
The group assembled in front of the desk. All were wearing the black and gold SeeD uniform, except Yannie who was in her cadet uniform. For the last time she hoped.  
  
"Thank you for all turning up on time." Said a serious faced Xu. The team all nodded.  
  
"Now as you know," began Quistis, "this is, as always, a very serious operation. Yet, I am sure with adequate preparation, we should have no problem in carrying out the aims."  
  
"Yeah yeah." moaned Zell. "We've heard this same spiel about fifty times already."  
  
"Zell, you may have done, but Yannie here hasn't." Quistis composed herself. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." She looked directly at Zell. Selphie giggled and even Xu had to stop herself smirking. "This is a serious undertaking. As SeeDs we have the highest of standards to uphold." She looked around to ensure she had everyone's attention. "This mission is slightly different as it doubles as a SeeD exam, but that doesn't mean you can slack off in the slightest. I shall now pass over to Xu who shall lead you through the mission." She stepped back and Xu took the floor. She pressed a button on the desk and a holographic image popped up in the middle of the table.   
  
"Our clients are wishing to remain anonymous, but this is basically a standard hostage situation. When we are ready, Nida shall fly us to a town on the Serengetti Plains, close to the Centra Crater called Menika."  
  
"Menika?" asked Selphie. "Never heard of it."  
  
"Just because you never heard of it, don't mean it don't exist." Said Irvine.  
  
"It has a modest population. The reason we are going there," continued Xu "Is because we have had an anonymous plea for help to rescue a kidnapped boy. His name is Teo and he is twelve. That is all we know."  
  
"Who is holding him?" asked Gered.  
  
"All we know is that he is being held by 'Unknown Forces' nothing more"  
  
"So what's the plan?"  
  
"He is being held in the Town Hall. There are two entrances, one at the front, one at the back." She pressed another button on the panel and a holographic image of a grandiose building came up, showing clearly the two entrances. "Squall, you Gered and Yannie take the front entrance, Zell, Irve and Selphie take the back. You are to fight to kill any resistance you come across. Once inside, bring the boy out alive and get onto the Ragnarok as soon as possible. Anything happens to him, mission over. Get it?" they all nodded. "Be junctioned and prepared. If anyone needs to stock up on supplies, potions, and phoenix downs, go to the medi-bay now." She pressed another button and the image disappeared. "Any questions?" No one said anything. "Right then, we shall depart immediately. I'll go tell Nida." Quistis smirked.  
  
"You sure you don't want me to tell him Xu." She smiled.  
  
"No it's alright. I'll do it." As she walked out the door she mouthed 'shut up' to Quistis. Selphie Irvine and Zell gave each other knowing glances, and giggled. Squall remained in the corner legs up on a chair looking out of the window. Yannie thought it strange that everyone was in such a good mood, all except Squall of course but no one expected him to be.   
  
It was then that she felt the floor move and as she looked out of the window, the ground was moving away at an alarming rate. Nobody else seemed bothered. Yannie felt as if she was about to throw up. She steadied herself on a table.  
  
"Are you ok?" she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Gered.  
  
"Is it meant to go this fast?"  
  
"You'll get used to it." He looked out the window at the clouds darting across below. "You nervous?"  
  
"Is it that obvious?" He lifted up one of her shaking hands. They both smiled. "I know that I'll be alright, it's just like everything has gone so fast."   
  
"I understand."  
  
"I mean that I went from gutter rat one week to SeeD cadet the next. I never had family or friends except for...well you know what I mean, and now, I'm surrounded by all these warm kind-hearted people. I sometimes think its all a dream, but it isn't. And this." She held up the arm with the silver armlet on it. "I have no idea what this is. But it is a godsend. You have no idea what it is like to finally be able to control the uncontrollable after all these years. And now I'm afraid."  
  
"Why?" he asked taking both her hands into his. She thought about telling him of her experience in the Fire Cavern, but decided not to. How could she know if she could trust him? Could she trust herself? She wasn't used to friends. It was always too risky. It would be easier to let go now than later. She paused for a moment.   
  
"We're almost there." She said and slipped away from him like sand through his fingers to join the others. Gered sighed. He leaned on the windowsill and looked out.   
  
Xu walked back in from the cockpit.   
  
"You were a long time telling him Xu." Said Selphie.  
  
"Was I?" she ran her fingers through her hair. "He was just showing me the controls to this thing. I'm thinking about getting my pilots license soon."  
  
"Did he show you his gear stick?" The whole room burst into laughter, and even Yannie managed to raise a smile. Squall and Xu however didn't get the joke. Xu turned to face Quistis, who was trying her best to bite her lip and keep a straight face.  
  
"Instructor Quistis Trepe! I told you not to tell!"   
  
"I didn't!" she protested.  
  
"We worked it out ages ago." Said Irvine.  
  
"Yeah, why else would you spend so much time on the bridge of Garden?" added Zell.  
  
"Ok, but don't tell anyone. We want to keep it secret." She said. Everyone nodded. Selphie began to sing 'Xu and Nida sitting in a tree' when Irvine trod on her foot to shut her up. The door to the cockpit opened and Nida walked out.   
  
"I've put the ship on auto-pilot. Shouldn't be too long before we get there." Everyone did his or her best not to smile. "Xu, do you want to go back in the cockpit and practice flying again?" Selphie couldn't help herself.  
  
"I bet that's not all you want to practice!" everyone laughed again. Nida had a worried puzzled look on his face.  
  
"Nida," said Xu, "they know about us. Its Ok." She took his hand. Nida looked at Quistis.  
  
"Quistis?!"   
  
"Why do I always get the blame?" she asked.  
  
Everyone laughed, and Squall continued his pastime of cloud watching. He hated couples. So happy and smug. Why can't he have that he wondered? Why did everything have to be bad for him? Why did anyone he ever love leave him? He knew it. He was cursed. He could get over his sister leaving him when he was younger, even though it took many years, and he could cope without his father making any effort to get to know him, but this he couldn't cope with. Never trust anyone again. Especially not this new girl. It was her fault Rinoa went away. All he had left was his job, but he was beginning to tire of that as well. He had enough bloodshed to last a lifetime. But what could he do if he wasn't in SeeD? The future scared him more than his past.  
  
Listen to yourself he thought. All cut up over a girl. You coped on your own before, you'll cope in the future. You never needed anyone, you got this far on your own. She made you weak. You will be stronger without her. All this talk about quitting SeeD. Don't be ridiculous. And you don't need friends either. They'll only leave as well.  
  
You're on you own but you do your best.  
  
But he couldn't help thinking "If only Rinoa was here." She would make everything all right. She would stroke his head and tell him that it would all work out for the best. They would go to the flower field. They could hold hands and kiss in the summer sun. Hyne he missed her. He missed her more than anything. He couldn't handle it anymore. He stood up and stormed out the room. The laughter stopped.  



	10. Preparations

Chapter 10  
  
The Ragnarok touched down just outside Menika.   
  
"You remember the drill Yann?" asked Xu. The young girl nodded her head. "Try not to be nervous. Just do your best, and I'm sure you will pass."  
  
"Is everyone prepared?" asked Quistis. Everyone nodded. "I suppose I better get Squall then." After he had stormed out the room, he had not returned. Quistis had decided that it would be for the best if she went to look for him.  
  
She walked through the automatic doors and went down to the loading bay. There she saw Squall fighting with an empty wooden crate. He swung his Gunblade high above his head, and came crashing down on top of the crate slicing through it like butter. Once again he raised his Lionheart and swung himself around, about to slice into it again, but stopped when he saw Quistis at the door.   
  
"What do you want?" he grunted as he slipped the mighty weapon back into its holster on his waist.  
  
"We are ready to leave now." She stepped toward him.  
  
"Tell the others they can cope without me." Quistis was stunned.  
  
"What do you mean? You're not coming?"   
  
"Not much gets past you does it?" he turned and paced towards the opposite end of the loading bay.  
  
"Why not?" she asked.  
  
"Because I don't think I can trust myself with her." He almost spat the word 'her'.  
  
"This is about Rinoa isn't it?"  
  
"Correct again! Ten points for the oh-so-perfect Instructor Trepe!"  
  
"Come on, this is just being unreasonable! What are we to do without our commander?"  
  
"I'm sure you won't miss me. Just like none of you miss Rinoa."  
  
"That is unfair." She walked over to him and pulled his shoulder, forcing her to face him. "You think you're the only one missing her? We all do, but we can accept that she is gone." Squall shrugged of her hand.  
  
"Don't talk about her as if she is dead!"  
  
"You know what I mean. But you can' blame all of this on Yann. It's not her fault Rinoa tried to kill her."  
  
"I should never have brought her here. All she has done is cause trouble." Quistis sighed. It seamed as if nothing would change his mind. Then she had an idea.  
  
"Oh, I see what all this is about. Your jealous aren't you?"  
  
"Me? Who of?"  
  
"Yes, its all so clear now." She began pacing around him. "You've always been top dog. Now you can't handle it when it looks as though she could be better than you."  
  
"That's rubbish!"  
  
"Ah, but is it? You're the mighty Squall. You are the one who saved the world. No one can beat you. But she did, didn't she? She put you in the infirmary. She almost killed you." Squall thought to himself. Is this true? Was he scared of someone stealing his thunder? "That's the real reason you won't fight isn't it? Scared she might show you up?" No, it wasn't true. He disliked her because of the Rinoa incident, didn't he?  
  
"That's a lie. I'll show you!"  
  
"How?" Quistis asked.  
  
"This is how!" and he turned and ran up the stairs to join the others. Quistis fell down on a crate, head in hands. She sighed again.  
  
"I'm glad that worked." She hated using reverse psychology to get her way, but desperate times turned to desperate measure. She knew it wasn't true, Squall would always be the best, and in time, he would work out the little trick she just pulled on him. But for the time being at least, he thought he had something to prove.  
  
*********************  
  
"Ah Squall, so you decided to join us after all?" asked Irvine.  
  
"So are we going or what?" he said.  
  
"Let's just get this over and done with." Added Selphie. Quistis came up from the loading bay.  
  
"Ok people, let's get a move on. Yannie, you shall be marked on skill, time, and ability to follow orders. You understand?"  
  
"Yes Instructor."  
  
"Ok then, any last questions?" Nobody raised his or her hands. "Right, you know what to do. Good luck, be safe, and don't act on impulse, especially you Zell."  
  
"Ugh, lets go already!"  
  
"So go!" The two groups departed the Ragnarok, Zell with Irvine and Selphie, Squall with Gered and Yannie. When outside, Squall was the first to speak.  
  
"Remember the plan? Me, Yannie and Gered take the front entrance. The others take the back. Got it? Good lets go. Fight to kill any resistance you come up against."  
  
Menika was deserted. The roads were dusty, and many of the windows were boarded up. Apart from some tumbleweed and a light breeze, the place was still and silent. Gered spoke.  
  
"I don't like this place at all."  
  
"Me neither." Added Selphie. "It gives me the creeps. Looks like no-one has lived here for years."  
  
"Doesn't matter about that. Lets just get this Teo lad and get out of here." Said Zell.   
  
"Town hall is this way. Get out your weapons." Squall unsheathed his Gunblade, Irvine loaded up his rifle, Selphie unravelled her Shinobou, Gered shook his legs and turned his ankles to warm up his feet with the specially designed spiked shoes, Yannie unclasped her Double Maces and Zell cracked his knuckles.   
  
They were ready.  



	11. Things are not what they appear

Chapter 11  
  
"Do you think she will be OK?" Xu asked Quistis.  
  
"You've obviously never seen her in action." She replied.  
  
"Obviously not."  
  
***************************  
  
"Town hall is this way." Said Irvine, consulting his map.  
  
"There, up ahead, next to that shop." Spotted Zell. It was a respectable looking building, with a clock tower on the side of it. All the windows were boarded up, and the door had a large bolt on the handles. Gered looked at his watch. It had just gone past three thirty-five in the afternoon.  
  
"Clock's wrong." He said, looking up at the tower. "It certainly ain't eight twenty-seven."   
  
"It doesn't matter." Said Squall, mildly agitated. Of course it mattered thought Gered. No town would have a faulty clock tower. And where were all the people? It was half three on a Saturday afternoon. The town should have been buzzing. No. He didn't like it at all. His instinct was to turn around and take Yann back to the ship. Something was not right. But he kept quiet. The last thing he wanted to do was annoy Squall.  
  
"Suppose not." He lied.  
  
"Right, lets split up. Yannie and Gered, remember you are with me. We take the front. You three take the back. Watch out, there may be forces about." The two groups separated. Zell and co ran around the side of the building, crouched down as to avoid the windows. At the front, Squall raised his Gunblade high, and the other two stood back. He took one deep breath, and came slicing down on the padlock in much the same manner as he attacked the crate in the Ragnarok. The lock fell to the floor and he kicked the door in, prepared to fight any resistance that may follow.  
  
************************  
  
Around the back, Irvine had found a novel entrance.  
  
"Zell, you think you can do it?"  
  
"Don't be stupid all your life Irve, course I can." He crouched down on the ground, and pulled at the air vent on the wall. It wouldn't budge. He puffed and panted and used his feet as leverage against the crumbling brickwork. Still nothing. Embarrassed, he fell to the floor, dirtying up his SeeD uniform in a cloud of dust. Selphie began giggling. "Oh yeah!" he said red faced and angry. "You try better!"  
  
Without saying a word, she knelt down next to Zell, gave him a cheeky smile, and with one elegant move of her hand, unclasped the hinges holding it to the wall. The grate fell to the floor with a gentle clatter.   
  
"Not just a pretty face." She said as she stood up and brushed herself down.  
  
"Not even, I think you mean." Said Zell irritated. "Did you know about that?" she nodded. "Then why did you make me try to pull it off?" she shrugged.  
  
"Funny I guess." Irvine and Selphie giggled. Zell cracked his neck and crawled into the newly made hole in the wall.   
  
"Are you two coming or not. We have a job to do remember."  
  
"Keep your hair on Zell." Said Irvine, as him and Selphie followed Zell into the hole.  
  
*********************  
  
Squall was prepared to fight. He was prepared for Galbadian Soldiers, Estharian Soldiers, monsters of all descriptions, but what he faced he was not prepared for.  
  
Nothing.  
  
No soldiers. No monsters. Just a young boy, about the age of twelve sat in the middle of the floor. He had his knees up to his chin, and was rocking backward and forward. Yannie was reminded of the way that she used to be. Alone and afraid. They were still stunned by the lack of enemies, when Zell followed by Irvine and Selphie came out of a whole in the wall. They too were amazed. They saw Squall and the others on the other side of the vast hall.   
  
"What now?" asked Gered. His suspicions were had now grown to conclusions, and he worried that this had something to do with Yannie. And he was dammed if he would let anything happen to her.  
  
Yannie walked toward the boy on the floor. She knelt down next to him.  
  
"Teo?" she asked in the softest voice she could. The boy nodded. "We've come to get you out of here." She put her hand on his shoulder. To her amazement it passed straight through. "Huh?" the holographic image flickered and disappeared. She looked up and saw the projector on the ceiling. Gered also looked up, and noticed something else.  
  
"NO!" he ran towards her to push her out the way. But he was too late. Before he was even halfway there, a large metal cage appeared out of mid-air, trapping the young SeeD cadet where she stood. Yannie was trapped.   
  
"Help!" she screamed, rattling at the bars. The other's ran to her aid as well. But before anyone could reach her, the cage, like the boy before it flickered and disappeared, this time taking Yannie with it. Her screaming abruptly stopped. Gered was the first to reach the spot where from she had vanished. He fell to the floor.  
  
"No…" he clawed at the floor. But all traces of the girl had gone.   
  
"What the hell just happened?" asked a stunned Zell.  
  
"Oh Hyne!" said Selphie putting her hands to her mouth. Squall stayed silent.  
  
"I don't know." said Irvine. Everyone was shocked.  
  
A distraught Gered on the floor whispered, "I knew we should've gone back."  
  



	12. Human?

Chapter 12  
  
Back at Garden, the whole group excluding Selphie was sat around the briefing table in Cid's office. Papers were strewn everywhere.   
  
"Where the hell is she?" asked Gered. Squall shrugged. How can he be so uncaring Gered thought to himself. "She is one of us. We have to do something!" Squall still remained silent. "Don't you care what will happen to her?" Gered stood up violently sending his chair crashing to the floor. Quistis took his shoulder, to try and calm him down. Reluctantly, he picked his chair back up and sat down. Irvine spoke.  
  
"Where's Selphie anyway?"  
  
"She's in the second floor classroom." Said Quistis "She is hacking into some mainframes or something. I don't pretend to understand, but I think she is trying to get some information as to Yannie's whereabouts."   
  
"I'll go see how she is getting along." Irvine left the room.  
  
"So, until we get some information, what is the plan?" Quistis asked, directing her question at Squall.   
  
"I don't know? What are we supposed to do?" he swivelled his chair and stood up. "We can't look for someone if we don't know where to begin."  
  
"We have to try!" shouted an angry Gered.  
  
"See it from my view." Said Squall in a rather condescending tone. "There are other missions need accomplishing. I can't waste valuable recourses to save one person." Gered's hand made a fist. Squall continued. "She wasn't even a SeeD. And we hadn't known her that long. I don't think there is anything we can do."  
  
"You wouldn't say that if that was Rinoa out there would you?" the even mention of her name had been forbidden in his presence since she had left. Squall said nothing. "Ah, have I hit a raw nerve there Squall? You know as well as I do that you would die for her. Not that she'd care…"  
  
"You leave Rinoa out of this!" he turned and shouted. "We are not sending out a party for her and that's it!"  
  
"You evil low life bastard. She's not some two-bit piece of meat you can leave to the kill. She is a person and…"  
  
"She's not a person. She's a thing. I'm not going to risk my forces to save an object!"  
  
"Take that back!" he shouted, walking across the room to where Squall stood. He was about the same height as Squall and looked him straight in the eyes. Their faces only a couple of inches apart, he said it again. "Take that back!"   
  
The others could sense there was going to be trouble. Zell tried to intervene.  
  
"Hey come on guys. Lighten up…."  
  
"Keep out of this Zell." Shouted Squall. Zell stood back.  
  
"Take it back…"  
  
"Nothing but a piece of meat…"  
  
"Bastard…no wonder Rinoa left with you as a boyfriend." Squall lunged for Gered, fighting him to the floor. He punched him twice in the face before the combined efforts of Zell and Quistis managed to pry them apart. Gered sat on the floor, and raised his hand to his lip. Blood.   
  
"Son of a…"  
  
"I'm calling Cid." Said Quistis picking up the phone.  
  
"Don't bother." Said Squall. "I'm outta' here." He exited through the door. Quistis put down the phone and knelt down next to Gered.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"I'll survive."  
  
"You really pushed your luck there." Said Zell. "Never bring up the 'R' word."  
  
"You want to see the doctor?"  
  
"No, I want to find Yannie."   
  
************************  
  
Selphie was sat at a computer in the classroom. She usually only used them to update her school Garden Festival page. But today, it was being used for a much more important, and no doubt an illegal, use. It was then that Irvine walked through the door.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Anything yet?"  
  
"No, 'fraid not." She slumped back in her chair and sighed. Irvine looked at the screen. Random letters and numbers flickered and darted in some sort of hyper-electronic dance."  
  
"How the Hyne can you read that?"  
  
"I majored in computer science for my pre SeeD modulars at Trabia. Passed with a distinction."  
  
"They teach you how to hack as well there?" Selphie laughed.  
  
"Hehe! No, hacking was 'Extra Curricular'!" Irvine smiled.  
  
"Does Cid know what you are doing?"  
  
"Not officially. Just covering himself in case anyone finds out. Off the record though we have the go ahead. He is really eager to find her. As if he knows something we don't." She sat back up and began typing furiously at the keyboard. For a while they engaged in idle chit-chat. Then Selphie interrupted Irvine's invigorating story of how he once beat a T-rexaur single-handily saying,  
  
"Wait a minute!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think I've got something! Look here." She pointed to the screen. "That name look familiar?"  
  
"Ocaspe? That's Yannie's surname isn't it?"  
  
"Read it all."  
  
"The O.C.A.S.P.E. Project?" they were both stunned.   
  
"I found this while searching trough the files at Odine labs."  
  
"What does it mean?"  
  
"I think," said Selphie "we have found our girl."  
  
"Can you get anymore information?"  
  
"I'll try." Again she began typing furiously. "This is all I can get. Anymore and they'll know we were there." Irvine read it out loud.   
  
"37 years ago, Odine labs embarked on a project so vast in its importance, it was able to achieve what its predecessors had only ever dreamed. After 20 years of research, the plan finally came to fruition. Unfortunately, the test subject, lovingly nicknamed 'Yannie' by the lab staff mysteriously disappeared when only three years old. A major search was launched, but was called of when no trace of the test subject was found. 20 years of hard work and dedication to the project had been wasted. And with her disappearance, went all the information we would require to create the Yannie Mk 2."  
  
"That's all I can find." Irvine was speechless, but managed to find the words,  
  
"She…She was created?"  
  
"Looks like it."  
  
"Why?" Selphie typed some more keys and shook her head. "I can't find out. She must've been important." Irvine flopped down in a chair. He took of his hat and rubbed his head.  
  
"It all makes so much sense now."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Think about it. You remember her telling that she had never had a family. She couldn't remember her parents? And that cage that trapped her. I thought at the time that it must've been Estharian. The only place I know with technology like that." Selphie was silent for a moment. What she had to say, she already knew Irvine would be thinking, but it needed saying anyway.  
  
"You don't think Sir Laguna knows anything?" Irvine said nothing. "I mean he is president of Esthar after all."  
  
"Squall is not going to like this. You know what a touchy subject his father is."  
  
"Still, he might be able to help us."   
  
"What if he was the one who ordered her kidnap?" Irvine put his hat back on.  
  
"You don't think he would do that do you?" Selphie said worried.  
  
"Depends on how important she is…"  
  
"I'll print this off. Let's go see the others."  
  
  
***********************  
  
Quistis, Zell and Gered, were once again sat around the table. Gered was rifling through some papers, Zell was looking through a dossier, and Quistis was sat in deep thought. It was then Selphie and Irvine burst through the door.   
  
"We've got it!" they shouted in unison. Then they noticed Gered's black eye and bloody lip.  
  
"What happened to you?" asked a concerned Selphie.  
  
"He mentioned Rinoa." Said Zell, plopping the dossier on the tale.  
  
"Yikes," said Irvine. "That's playing with fire. We bumped into Squall in the corridor. Thought he looked agitated."  
  
"What have you got." Asked Gered, looking at the paper in Selphie's hand.  
  
"Oh yeah." She handed it over to him. He read it and fell back in his chair. Quistis took the paper from his hand and read it also. Zell stood behind her and read it over her shoulder.  
  
"I guess Squall was right." Said Gered. "She's not human, she is an object."   
  
  



	13. Odine

Chapter 13  
  
Yannie awoke on a cold floor.   
  
[I]Strange,[/I] she thought to herself. [I]The springs must have gone in my mattress. Ugh, I had the most horrible dream. There was a small boy and a cage, except… it wasn't a dream, was it? She slowly opened her eyes, and half expected to see her room in Garden, with the view over the plains, and the cupboard with the squeaky hinge. She would really have to get someone to see to it…[/I]  
  
Half asleep she sat up and felt the coldness of the marble floor beneath her. She reached around, and waited for her eyes to adjust to the light. When they did, she was startled by the sheer blueness around her. She was alone in a cell. But it had no bars. Just blue walls, and one door. What she couldn't see was the observation screen above her, as it was concealed. She stood up and brushed herself down.  
  
[I]Ugh, my head hurts. What happened?[/I] she tried her best to remember. [I]I remember being in the town hall. I remember Gered running toward me. I remember a cage dropping. Then I was in a ship. It looked like the Ragnarok, except more…sterile. Then…[/I] she felt the side of her neck. It hurt from where someone had injected her with a sleep inducer. She was stirred from her thought when a door slid open in the wall. Out walked a little man, no taller than five foot. He had on a big round collar. He spoke.  
  
"Ah! So zis iz the prodigal daughter. Behind him were two Estharian soldiers, dressed in the blue and grey of their national colours. She had seen pictures of them in textbooks back at Garden, and had studied their weaknesses. Yannie summoned up all her strength and tried to cast Thundaga on the short man and his friends. But she was somehow unable to. The short man chuckled.  
  
"He he! Ah, zis is very humorous. You cannot cast your magik here." He pointed up. "Anti-magik devize. My own perzonal invention. And very proud ov it I am."  
  
"Who are you?" she asked. The short man held out his hand.  
  
"It haz been a very long time Yannie. I am Doctor Odine." She didn't shake his hand.  
  
"Am I supposed to know you?" again he laughed.  
  
"Ha ha. I zuppose not. You vere a very young girl when you disappeared." He wiped his brow. "Indeed, I vas very sorry vhen you vent."  
  
"What are you talking about? Let me go!"   
  
"Ah, it seems to me, zat you are not ready for ze truth yet. Ve shall vait."  
  
"No let me know now!" but she was grabbed by one of the Estharian soldiers, and fell asleep almost before she felt the shot in her neck.  
  
************************  
  
No one knew what to say. They were stunned. They knew that she wasn't the same as everyone else, but they thought she was at least human. Still, in their minds at least, nothing had changed. She was still a girl in need, and they would save her. They would no longer be able to call themselves SeeDs if they didn't.  
  
At least now they knew where to find her. And someone needed to make a call to President Laguna of Esthar.   
  
There was a knock at Squall's dorm. It was Quistis.  
  
"Squall, you in there?" the door opened and Squall walked back inside. Quistis followed behind. "We know where she is being held Squall."  
  
"Where?" he grunted. Quistis was silent. Squall could sense her apprehension. "What are you not telling me?" he stood up and walked towards her.  
  
"Squall…" she sighed. "It's Esthar. Odine to be precise…"  
  
"Odine!" he shouted. "That Hyne-damm nuisance!"   
  
"Squall, you know what this means don't you?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Someone has to make a call with the President." Squall was silent. "You are the commander."  
  
"Don't tell me I'm the commander! I know I'm the bloody commander!"  
  
"Squall…"  
  
"I'll make the stupid call. I'll call the old jerk and tell him where to get off!"  
  
"Remember not to make it personal. Be reasonable."  
  
"Personal…" he whispered the word under his breath. "He is my father, and I've met him four time in my entire life. How the hell can I make it personal?"  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothing. I'll make the call right away."  
  
"Wait." Quistis got Selphie's computer printout from her pocket. "I think you should look at this first." Squall took the printout and read it. He fell to the bed.  
  
"The O.C.A.S.P.E. project? She, she is not human?"  
  
"From what we can tell, she is human. Biologically at least."  
  
"Human's are born. She was made. I'm not going to risk people's lives in order to save one lab rat!"  
  
"How can you be like this?" Quistis was quickly getting fed up with the new Squall. She wanted the old Rinoa-Squall back instead. Hyne, even the pre Rinoa Squall would be better than the complete heartless shell he had become.  
  
"Like I said. No way."  
  
"Now listen here. I have known you for most of your life. Most of my life. I don't like this new person you have become. Rinoa is gone, but don't take it out on the rest of us. Get over it. Now there is a girl in trouble here. Like it or not, she is one of us. So what if she is different to the rest of us? It is our duty to rescue her. If you can't accept that, you are not fit to be commander!"  
  
"But she isn't…"  
  
"…human? She is more human than you will ever be! I can't believe I once thought I was in love with you. You make me sick!"  
  
"Quisty…"  
  
"Don't give me that Quisty shit! I'm going to go now. I leave the decision in your conscience." With that she walked through the door slamming it behind her.  
  
Was it true? Was he that heartless? How had it happened? He stood up and looked in the mirror. His eyes were deeper set than they had once been. He had more lines on his forehead. He didn't like the person he had become.  
  
How had he been so blind? How had he let himself become this monster? The Squall that looked back at him in the mirror was a stranger. He turned on the taps and filled the sink. While the taps were running he removed his shirt. Once the sink was full he dipped his head under the cold cleansing water. Its coldness felt good against his hot skin. He looked back into the mirror, hair dripping. The same blank face looked back. He made a fist and smashed the mirror. Shards of glass penetrated his knuckles and he winced with the pain. But it was a good pain. It was the pain of rebirth. He grabbed a towel, and as he wrapped his knuckles in it, he picked up the phone.   
  
"Esthar Presidential Residence please."   



	14. Father and Son

Chapter 14  
  
[I]I remember it now. So vividly. A stone house, it was by the ocean. There was a field. Bright colours danced in the sun. I only ever saw the field once. But that image, though forgotten, never lost.  
  
A woman dressed in black. Curious. Always asking. Never relenting. The other children called her matron. I didn't.  
  
Children. Others, just like me. But not. No, I was different. I never saw them much. Always alone.   
  
A room. Alone. Stone walls. A prison. Her interest in me. She, she feared me. Why? I was so small. From my small confined space I could see sky. It hurt my eyes.   
  
Floorboards. A secret. But what…?[/I]  
  
******************************  
  
Yannie woke up in a cold sweat. Though awake, she didn't open her eyes. She pretended to be asleep. So that man would not return. What was her dream about she wondered? Was it a dream, or memories? She had no memories, no past. Why now? She could still see the field of flowers imbedded on the inside of her eyelids.  
  
Edea. She mouthed the name. Somehow, she held the key.  
  
*****************************  
  
[I]Ring…Ring…[/I]  
  
What the hell was he going to say?  
  
[I]…Ring…[/I]  
  
Listen to Quistis he thought. Keep it professional. Don't make it personal. Another time. But not now.   
  
[I]…Ring…Hello, Esthar Presidential Residence, This is Mandra speaking. How can I direct your call?[/I] the chirpy voice on the other end of the phone replied.  
  
"Uh, " Squall cleared his throat, "Can I speak to the President?"  
  
[I]"Whom may I say is calling?"[/I]  
  
"I'm a representative of Balamb Garden, I have urgent business, and I need to talk with the President right away."  
  
[I]I'm sorry, the president is very busy, but I'm sure he will be able to take your call at a later date."[/I]   
  
"Ok," said Squall. He hated to have to do this. "Do me one thing. Tell him it is Squall Leonheart."  
  
[I]Squall Leonheart? Listen, I don't know…[/I]  
  
"He will want to take this call, trust me…" the disembodied voice on the other end sighed.  
  
[I]Alright, but he is very busy. Let me ask[/I] The phone clicked, and the sounds of [I]Greensleves[/I] resonated through the ear piece.   
  
****************  
  
Laguna Loire was sat in his office. Papers were strewn everywhere. He looked briefly at the paper in his hand before scrunching it up and tossing it over his shoulder in the wastepaper bin, which was already full to overflowing. He held his head in his hands, with his elbows on the table.  
  
How did he get here? Why was he doomed to lead? Why did people follow him? He was no leader, but consequence had deemed him to be for the rest of his life. He had no choice. He had to save Ellone. He had travelled to Esthar to rescue her, and once he had, he somehow ended up defeating a sorceress and became the new leader of the most powerful country in the world. The world at his feet. Armies at his control. The glory and the tickertape parade when the evil sorceress Adel had been locked away in space forever. A country free from her evil grip. A joyous day, and there was not one man alive who wouldn't love his position.  
  
He hated his job. He longed for the days when Kiros, Ward and himself would go adventuring. No particular path. Just one open road, and a million destinations. Armed with nothing but a machine gun and a pen, he would travel to foreign lands, and write a thousand colours on paper, describing the wonderment he saw.  
  
But he would have gladly give it all up, just to be back in Winhill, with Raine. And Ellone, who could forget little Ellone. Except she wasn't so little anymore. She was a grown woman, and it made him feel old. So much he wanted to do, so many places left unseen. So many people to get to know. So many bridges needed building…  
  
[I]Beep! Mr President, I have a Mr Leonheart on line four for you, I told him you were busy but he insisted…[/I]  
  
"Squall?" he pressed the buzzer on the intercom. "Mandra, if anyone from Balamb phones, direct them straight to me you hear?"  
  
[I]Yes Sir. Understood. Shall I patch him through?[/I]  
  
"Yes, yes." There was a little beep on the phone. "Uh," Laguna cleared his voice. "Squall…?"  
  
"Mr President, this is Squall Leonheart, commander of Balamb Garden," [I]Your son, remember. Or had you forgotten, just like you forgot my mother?[/I] "We have a situation, involving Your forces, and one of our students." Laguna picked up on his hostility, and tried not to push the fatherly act too much. It was too late for that anyway.  
  
"Please continue." Squall briefed him on the details of the kidnapping, managing to keep his cool. "Very interesting." He said when he had heard the whole story. "But I'm afraid there is nothing I can do."  
  
"What do you mean, nothing?"  
  
"This isn't a government affair. If I were to get my forces involved, it could cause civil war."  
  
"I beg to differ Mr. President." Argued Squall. "We have reason to believe that she is being held by your forces. I think that makes it a government affair."  
  
"You can't prove that."  
  
"Let me ask, who funds Odine labs?"  
  
"Uh, well, a number of anonymous investors make uh, donations…"  
  
"But the majority of it comes from the government science fund doesn't it?"   
  
"I…Umm… I will have to get a confirmation on that." Laguna began to sweat. This kid had a spark, and reminded him a lot of himself in his youth.   
  
"And as investors, I imagine you would keep a close eye on any research?" Squall was amazed at himself. He had never been this cocky before.   
  
"I don't really get involved in what old man Odine does."  
  
"Will you help us?"  
  
"Like I said…"  
  
"Give me a straight answer!"  
  
"That…um…No. I'm sorry. No."  
  
"Very well then." And Squall hung up the phone. [I]Thanks a lot DAD[/I]  
  
Laguna sat back in his chair. [I]Always a pleasure SON[/I]  
  



	15. The Mission

Chapter 15  
  
Squall walked into the briefing room. He was met by eager faces.  
  
"Well…?" asked an inquisitive Zell.  
  
"He is denying any knowledge. He's not going to help us." They all sighed.   
  
"What now?" asked Quistis.  
  
"We go ourselves I guess." Said Gered, who had been very quiet up to this point. "What else can we do?" Nobody said a word. "Come on, we can't leave her there…" everyone was quiet for a moment. Selphie was the first to speak.  
  
"I'll go."  
  
"Sefie…?" said Irvine.  
  
"What can I say. I know computers. And if there's one place with a lot of computers its Esthar. Besides, she said she'd join the Garden Festival Committee." She smiled.  
  
"I'll go." Said Irvine. "I'm not letting Sefie, uh Selphie go alone. Besides, Yannie is one of us, we can't let her down." Selphie patted him on the back. Quistis stood up.   
  
"You're going to need someone to clear this past Cid." She said. "He will only allow it so long as I go with you." Gered nodded.   
  
"What the hell. I'm in too." Said Zell. Gered smiled at him. He looked around the room.  
  
"So how many now?" asked Gered. "Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Quistis and myself. Five of us."  
  
"Will you be needing the Ragnarok?" Asked Nida, who had been stood outside the door listening in.  
  
"Only if we got a pilot…"  
  
"I suppose I could fly it." Said Nida smirking.  
  
"So that is six of us." He said. "Where's Xu?"  
  
"Down with a cold." Said Nida.  
  
"So she's out. We need one more." All eyes were on Squall; the only person still seated.  
  
"Squall?" asked Gered. "I know we've had our differences," he said rubbing his nose, which was still a bit swollen. "But I'm asking if you'll put them aside, at least for the time being." Squall did not move he kept staring at the floor. Gered held out his hand. Squall looked at is as if he had never seen a hand before. He stood up and walked to wards the others.  
  
"I'll come with you, but don't think that we are even." He said. Gered sighed. He hated fighting with anyone. Probably in the wrong job, he thought to himself. But, at least he was coming. That was one thing.  
  
"Fine. Let's get ready."   
  
***************************  
  
Had he been to hard on Squall, the President thought to himself. If anyone held a grudge against Odine, it was himself. If it hadn't been for Odine labs kidnapping Ellone when she was young, he would never had to come to bloody Esthar in the first place. He wouldn't have had to leave Winhill, and Raine.   
  
Hyne he missed her. He missed her more than anything. He looked at the picture on his table of her. Took only months before her death. She was wearing that white polo neck jumper that she loved so much. Her tummy was bulging slightly underneath it where she was expecting their first child together. She was already a mother, but not to her own child. Being the kind woman she was, she looked after Ellone after soldiers looking for a successor to Adel killed her parents. She was well in the knowledge they could come back looking for her again. The child she died bringing into the world was none other than the boy he had just been talking on the phone to. He was ashamed of himself. Like a coward, he left Ellone and Squall in the orphanage together. Always in the back of his mind they were. It was only to be temporary, but he got tied down with work, and lost contact. It was too late to begin to form a relationship. Too much time had past, and the chasm was too wide for bridges to be built.  
  
He wanted to help this new test subject Squall had told him about. No doubt she was Odine's latest favourite. That old man has no respect for anything that isn't part of his research. Hyne, he doesn't care who he walks all over so long as he get the results he wants. Even if that does involve kidnapping.  
  
But he couldn't get involved. The President launching an attack on the worlds leading authority on sorceresses? Doesn't exactly spark public confidence in the government. Dammit! He hated bureaucracy and red tape. His gut instinct was to send a troop of soldiers and ransack the place. Then put Odine in prison for the rest of his life. But he couldn't do that. The public loved Odine. The guy even had his own range of jewellery out. How could he put him in prison?   
  
If he didn't quit his job soon, he would go mad he was sure. If only he didn't have to take responsibility for his actions. If only he could just disappear. He didn't want to be run by rules and laws.   
  
"Shit." He muttered to himself. "I gotta do something." he picked up the phone.  
  
***********************  
  
The six SeeDs and one SeeD pilot were in the Ragnarok. They landed a few miles south of Esthar. The plan was to drive the rest of the way in an Esthar Military Vehicle, which they had stolen earlier that year for another mission. There should be no problem getting in the city in the EMV. The group had been briefed as to the details of the mission, one of the most ambitious missions ever to be undertaken by SeeD.  
  
Once Nida had landed, they spent no time at all getting into the EMV and out onto the ground. The drive took a few minuets, the EMVs being particularly fast. It looked like a scaled down Galbadian vehicle, except in grey silver and purple.   
  
There was no problems getting past the man at the gate. EMVs came and went all the time, and there was nothing unusual here. Squall was driving as the others slipped into their false Estharian uniforms.  
  
"Ooooh," said Selphie, "These are so much more comfortable than those itchy smelly Galbadian uniforms." The rest nodded in agreement.   
  
"Keep your mind on the mission." Said Squall, already in his uniform. We get caught, we get killed." Selphie stopped talking. "Almost there. Remember the plan." Squall said, more of an order than a question. This is stupid, he thought to himself. All this to save one person. Ridiculous.   
  
The car pulled up outside Odine labs. Two Esthar soldiers stood at the door.   
  
"What now?" whispered Zell to Selphie in the back of the car.  
  
"Now," she replied, "is where we blag it."   
  
Squall got out of the car. The others saw him salute. The guards saluted back. In the car, they couldn't hear what was said, but after about a minute of talking, they could tell that something was not right. One of the guards reached for his radio, and Squall pulled it out of his hands and punched him in the face. He unsheathed his Lionheart and swung at the other guard. He fell to the floor, not dead but unconscious, as Squall had the courtesy to strike with the blunt end. With two immobilised soldiers at his feet, he motioned towards the others to follow. They obliged.  
  
"They didn't believe your story?" asked Irvine.   
  
"No, I didn't believe theirs." He reached down and picked up the radio. "Since when did Esthar soldiers carry radios?"  
  
"Of course!" said Selphie. "They have radio's built into their helmets."  
  
"They're not the most advanced nation in the world for nothing you know."  
  
"So what are you saying?" asked Zell. "They are not real soldiers"  
  
"Maybe once, probably just mercenaries now." Said Squall, pocketing the radio. "It doesn't matter, lets go." Squall walked to the doors, but they didn't open.  
  
"Locked huh?" asked Selphie. "Lets just see if I can sort that out." She stepped forward, and out of her pocket she produced a small square keypad and a small green display built in. She plugged in the keyboard into the numeric keypad next to the door, and began typing furiously. The others watched in amazement as after a matter of minuets, the door unlocked.  
  
"There we go." she said as she removed the keypad and put it in her pocket. She walked in through the door first, and the rest followed.  
  
"Wow." Said Zell.  
  
Inside they sorted out some more phoney soldiers, and made their way to the lift to take them to the control deck. What faced them, they were unprepared for. A floating robotic mechanical enemy was directly in front of them. On each of its shoulder's was a probe. Behind stood Odine.  
  
"I thought zat you vould come." He said. "The subject zpoke of you. I do not vant to fisticuffs, so, if you vill listen to vat I have to say." He stepped in front of the mechanical beast. "You can not take it avay. It serves a much higher purpose than you could imagine. The test subject vill bring about…"  
  
"Stop calling her an 'It'!" shouted Gered. "Like it or not she is s person."  
  
"She, as you say, is my property. I made it, I vant it back!" Gered lunged for the old man, but was stopped by Irvine who grabbed his shoulder.   
  
"Calm down man."  
  
"Ah, ziz iz not going to verk I see. I hate to do ziz. He pulled a controller out of his pocket. "Good luck." He said before his holographic image flickered and died.  
  
"What now?!" shouted Zell.  
  
"Now we fight!" shouted Selphie, who had already got out her Shinobou. Squall cast scan on the robot.   
  
[I]Mobile type 9, next generation of Mobile type 8. Stronger magically, and also physically, with new attacks. No known weaknesses.[/I]  
  
"I knew this was a bad idea." Said Quistis after reading the scan report. This thing was unstoppable. Its HP was off the charts. No weaknesses, and high absorption rates of magic. It made a 'wirrig' noise as it powered itself up.  
  
"Shit…"  



	16. A Memory Stirs

Chapter 16  
  
"Everyone, cast aura on yourselves. We are going to need it!" shouted Quistis. Soon enough, everyone was shimmering with gold, and Squall was the first to attack. He used Renzokuken on the mechanical beast.   
  
"Hardly made a dent!" he puffed and panted crouching on the floor.  
  
[I]Now it's my turn to play…[/I] the machine said to itself. From the centre of its impressive frame, came a bolt of lightning, aimed directly at Selphie. She dived out of the way, and where she had been stood was a circle of flame. She could see clean through the smoking hole to the floor below. Unaffected by her close shave with death, she too took advantage of her limit breaks. She focused, and cycled through in her mind her available magic.  
  
"The End!" she shouted and crossed the woods of her Shinobou. Flowers sprung from the ground, and the enemy was momentarily transported to a field of green. When transported back though, it was unaffected.   
  
"The End doesn't work?" asked Irvine stunned. The machine powered up once again. This time it focused its energies on Quistis. She went to move, but was not quick enough. The laser hit her directly in the chest, and she was launched across the room and landed in a crumpled heap against the wall. Before anyone could go to her aid, it fired a short burst of lasers across the rest of the group. Selphie was hit in the thigh and collapsed to the floor in agony while Squall ducked out of the way. With two of his comrades out of action, Irvine made a bold move. He rolled across the floor and stood up behind the robot. He found a small groove in what could only be described as its shoulder bone. He thrust his rifle as far up as it would go. He gave a cheeky smile, and pulled off one single bullet. The recoil promptly blew him back, half way across the room, with his gun still stuck in the back of the beast.   
  
"Dammit…" he said as he curled onto a ball, weaponless awaiting the counterattack, that shortly followed.   
  
Gered and Zell, the two martial artists began a double assault. Zell used his fists to take on the higher regions, and Gered took the lower half with his spiked feet. Little did much damage, and were soon immobilised on the floor unconscious. Now, only Squall remained. The floating menace hung ominously in the air. It made its way toward Squall, and was backing him in the corner, slowly at first, then speeding up. For the first time in his life, Squall shouted the word he hated. The word that made him week, that made him human.  
  
"Help!" he cried out. The doors burst open, and in stormed a troop of Estharian soldiers. Trained in the technology that was behind Mobile Type 9, they made little work of giving it some nice new air holes.  
  
Squall was stunned. As the crumpled heap of metal fell to the floor, he managed to say, "Wha…?" Some of the soldiers went around to the rest of the team, and issued Phoenix downs, potions, and Elixirs. In no time the rest were up and walking, be it with a limp  
  
"Mr Leonheart sir?" said a high-ranking soldier as he saluted. Squall stuttered for a moment until he found the words.  
  
"Yes, at your service Sir." Squall said as he saluted.  
  
"Sir no Sir!" said the soldier. Squall could tell he was smiling under the helmet. "Sir, We are at your service Sir!"  
  
"I'm sorry?" said Squall confused.  
  
"Sir, We were sent as a direct order from President Laguna Loire, Sir." Squall had a puzzled look on his face. "Sir, May I introduce myself. I am Captain Hojan Verson. These here are my men. Here is the written directive, Sir." He said as he handed over a piece of paper. Squall took it and read it through.  
  
"Well I'll be…" Squall read through. Laguna had sent out twelve of the best darn soldiers in the entire Estharian military. And they were all at his disposal. They were at his command until he said so.  
  
"Sir, what are your orders Sir?"  
  
"Firstly," said Squall, "Stop with the 'Sir' rubbish."  
  
"Sir, Yes Sir!" Squall groaned.  
  
"Secondly, open up that chamber, and get that girl out." He pointed in the direction of the observation window.  
  
"Sir. I think that you may not need our help with that job sir." Squall looked over, and saw Selphie tapping away at the miniature keypad she held and the built in keyboard simultaneously. A small crowd of soldiers had gathered round and was watching in amazement. One of the soldiers was leaning up against the wall unit, and said something along the lines of 'Are you free tonight?' Selphie just politely smiled and carried on typing.   
  
"Defario!" The Captain shouted. Immediately, the soldier stood bolt upright. "These young uns' don't have no respect for the fairer sex." He sighed. "Any other tasks sir?"  
  
"Yes." He said. "Find Odine. He must be here somewhere."  
  
"Sir." The Captain said as he saluted and walked away to brief his men.   
  
"Squall," said Quistis. "What is going on?" Squall handed over the piece of paper. She read it. "All of them?" asked Quistis. He nodded. "Wow. We really should thank Lagu… I mean the President." Squall said nothing. He walked over to where Selphie was at the mainframe computer.   
  
"Hey Squall. Almost done." He asked around to see how everyone was. Everyone was fine apart from Zell who complained that his neck hurt. Irvine called him a chicken-wuss, everyone laughed, and Zell didn't complain again. "Done!" shouted Selphie, as she typed the last digits on the keyboard. "So, who's getting her?" As if the question needed to be asked. All eyes focused on Gered.   
  
"I'll go." He said, and walked out the door, to ride on the elevator to the confinement room. He pushed the door gently and stepped inside. The first thing to hit him was the blueness of it all. It was so blue it hurt his eyes. Yannie was asleep on the floor, still in her SeeD cadet uniform. The skirt was torn, and the socks had holes in them. Her hair was a mess, and resembled the way she was when she was first found.   
  
He bent down and gently touched her shoulder. She jolted out of slumber, and sat upright. Terrified that it was another soldier, or that strange man with the needles, she almost cried when she saw it was Gered. He held his hand out, but she flung her arms around him. They stayed like that on the floor for a few moments until he slipped his arms gently beneath her legs and lifted her up of the ground. She was light to carry. He took her out of the blue room, never to return.  
  
*********************  
  
Squall watched the emotional scene. It struck a chord with him. Somehow, he could relate to it. Deep in his mind, a memory stirred. Of course, it was like the time he rescued… But none of that mattered anymore. She was in the past now. He should once again take Quistis's advice, and let her go completely. Letting go was the easy part. Living thereafter, that was hard. If only he could see her once more. The solution to all his problems, they lay within her.   
  
How long had he blocked her out of his heart? Out of his mind? Perhaps this is how life is supposed to be, he thought. It's meant to be tough. Love is hard. Deal with it. But how could he deal with an emotion never shown to him? He had to go for her. She was the key.  
  
Rinoa…  
  



	17. A Blood Red Rose

Chapter 17  
  
Squall was stood at attention in the headmaster's office.  
  
"…and that concludes the mission briefing." He said, after explaining the details of the events in Esthar.  
  
"Hmm." Said Cid, he leaned back into his chair, holding the directive given to Squall by Captain Verson. "So, you have all these men under your control?"  
  
"I believe so sir."  
  
"Interesting. And how do you propose to use them?"  
  
"I've all ready got them looking for Odine." Squall sighed. "I have no idea where he went."  
  
"So, we find Odine, we get answers?" Squall nodded. Cid yawned and stretched out his arms. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was up late last night. Problems with Eddy." Eddy was the pet name he gave to his wife. Before the awkward silence that would immediately follow as Cid waited for Squall to give some sort of reply to his problems, Cid said, "Is there anything else?"   
  
"Er, actually yes. I would like to request a few days leave."   
  
"Another one eh?"  
  
"I'm sorry?" asked Squall.  
  
"Oh, uh, never mind. Hmm, let me see…" Cid consulted his desktop calendar. "No major events happening this week. Yes, should be fine. We can live without you for a few days." He looked up over the top of his glasses and gave a light laugh. "Can I enquire as to why?"  
  
"No." Squall could have hit himself for being so rude. He tried to rectify. "I uh, mean, its, um personal. I…I'd rather not say."  
  
"Oh. All right then. You are free to go. When will you be leaving?"  
  
"Tonight."  
  
"Very well. Have a good trip. I hope you find what you are looking for." Strange response thought Squall.   
  
"Uh, thanks." Squall turned and left the room. When he had left, Cid said to himself,  
  
"Say hi to Rinoa for me."  
  
***********************  
  
After she had been given the all clear from Doctor Kadowaki, Yannie went to her room to freshen up. After she had had a shower, and changed her clothes, she felt a lot better. As if what had happened earlier that day was all just a dream. On the way back in the Ragnarok, Squall had debriefed her on the mission. And she thanked and hugged everyone. She even hugged Squall much to his annoyance. No one had ever been so selfless towards her. They had gone out of their way to save her. When she asked them why, Selphie quickly replied,  
  
"Cause you are one of us. You're our friend."  
  
[I]One of them? Friend?[/I] no one had ever said those words to her. She was part of a team. A cog in a well-oiled machine. She fitted in, something, she had never achieved before. I scared and excited her at the same time. [I]Don't screw up this time Yannie.[/I] she said to herself.   
  
She had chosen, today to wear some figure hugging faded denim jeans, open toed sandals and a green vest top She was rubbing her hair dry when there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Its me." She smiled.  
  
"Come in Ged." Gered walked in. he was out of his SeeD uniform and was wearing baggy jeans, trainers and a white sleeveless shirt.   
  
"Hey Yann. Thought you might be hungry. They're about to serve diner. You coming?"  
  
"Just drying my hair."  
  
"I bought you something." he held out his hand. In it he held a rose. Yannie stopped rubbing her hair, and gasped.  
  
"Oh, Ged. Isn't that…"  
  
"Alcauld Rose?" He nodded. "I know that it's illegal to pick them but…"  
  
"If you get caught, you'll get a fine and…"  
  
"It reminded me of you." He held it out. She delicately took it from his hand.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Look here." He pointed to the interwoven layers of petals "See how the petals are in layers? Under each layer, is another, and each a slightly different colour than the last. The further you go, the deeper the colours. And right here in the middle, nobody ever sees. Hidden from the world is the most beautiful colour of all." She took his hand.  
  
"Thank you, she whispered." As if by magnetism, they slowly became drawn towards each other. Their faces were only inches apart.  
  
"Ged…" she could feel his breath on her cheek.  
  
"Yann…" the door burst open, and Yannie let go of Gered, pushing him away.  
  
"Yo, you two!" shouted Zell, oblivious to the fact that he burst in on a party he wasn't invited to. "You coming to dinner. They're serving up now."  
  
"Be there in a minute." Said Gered practically pushing Zell out the door. Yannie was sat at the bottom of the bed, looking at the rose. "That Zell, just don't take a hint." He laughed. He sat down next to her on the bed. He took her hand, but she immediately pulled away. "What is it?" he could see tears forming in her eyes.   
  
"I think you should go now." She said to him.   
  
"But, I thought…"  
  
"What did you think?" she spun to face him. "That, there could be something between us?"  
  
"Yann…"  
  
"Don't 'Yann' me! Just go, and take this with you!" she threw the rose at him.  
  
"Why are you being like this?" he stood up to face her.  
  
"Why do you think that you can just walk into my life, and turn everything upside down?"  
  
"I never meant to…"  
  
"But you did. Why couldn't we just be friends." She began to cry. "All I wanted was a friend."  
  
"Bull shit!" shouted Gered. "I saw the way you looked at me just then. You want more than friendship! You're just scared. You think I'm going to go away like the others. But I'm not. If you'd just give me a chance, you would see that." She opened the door, and with as much dignity as she could muster she said,  
  
"Get out."  
  
"Talk to me."  
  
"Please. Just go." Gered opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. He walked out of the door, and before leaving, he gave her one last look. Yannie slammed the door behind him. She slid down the side of the door, and burst into tears. He held her head in her hands and sobbed.  
  
[I]I knew you'd do it.[/I] the little voice inside said. [I]I knew you would screw it up. Just like you always do…[/I]   
  
"Shut up!" she shouted out. She looked up, and saw on the bed, the precious Alcauld Rose. She could hear Gered's voice still.  
  
[I]"It reminded me of you."[/I] She stood up, and walked over to the bed. She picked up the rose and cradled it in her hands. [I]"And right here in the middle, nobody ever sees. Hidden from the world is the most beautiful colour of all."[/I] She crushed the rose in her grip. "Ow." One of the thorns was stuck in her finger. As she pulled it out, a slow trickle of blood followed. She let the blood stained petals fall into the wastepaper bin.  



	18. Death Beyond Death

Chapter 18  
  
[I]I'm there again. The house by the sea with the high stone walls. The sunlight creeps in from the ceiling. I hide in the shadows. The light hurts my eyes. The door creaks open. I know it is she again. The one they all call matron. Her name, I know not. Her presence I know all too well. She will come to me over and over, again and again, to ask the same question.   
  
How?  
  
How what? But she never says. She calls me a liar; she calls me evil. And I believe her. I am young and naïve. She seems so old and wise. If only I know the answer. She prods me and makes me bleed, all in pursuit of the answer. And there in her eyes I see fear. It glistens with gold. Fear. Of me? But what do I know. I am only four.  
  
How?  
  
How what? I cry out. But no one comes to my aid. I'm alone. All alone. As always. Does she not see my pain? Do I not see hers?   
  
The light floods into the room. A brick knocked out of the wall. I'm older now. I'm seven, and all grown up.   
  
Follow me.   
  
I ask no questions and does as he says. Asking questions leads to trouble. He is my age. He pulls me out into the light. I turn away from the glare of the sun.  
  
Go.  
  
I go. I never return. On a ship. In with the laundry. Laundry is too good for me I think to myself. After that, I cannot see…   
  
I'm back in the house. I'm four. The lady they call matron is there. She comes towards me with a needle. I scream out…"[/I]  
  
"Agghhhh!" Yannie shouted out. She was in a cold sweat. A dream, just a dream. The moon shone in through the curtains. She looked at her bedside clock.  
  
[I]3:45[/I]  
  
The whole of Garden was asleep. All but her. She lay awake, trying to sleep, but to no avail. The one they called matron, Cid's wife, Edea. She knew.  
  
********************************  
  
Squall arrived in Deling late that morning. After riding on the under sea railway, he had hired a car. He drove to Deling. He parked his car just outside the city, and walked the rest of the way.  
  
It was eleven o'clock and the place was eerily quiet. On every street corner stood a Galbadian solder, but that was no different to normal. General Caraway insisted on it, so that the city of the heart of the empire could be as peaceful as possible. Ruling with fear, as Rinoa had always said.   
  
Squall stood outside Caraway's house. Two soldiers stood at the gate.   
  
"I'm here to see Rinoa." Squall said as he approached the guards.  
  
"I'm sorry, but we are under strict orders not to allow any strangers into the building." Said one of the soldiers automatically. Squall sighed. He knew this would happen. Even though his daughter had a rebellious streak that went against everything that Caraway stood for, she was still his daughter, and he was very overprotective of her.  
  
Can you give her a message?" he asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, I am not permitted to pass on messages." Said the guard.  
  
"Look, just tell her Squall is here." Squall rubbed his head. "Please?" The two guards looked at each other.   
  
"Excuse us one minute." Said the other Galbadian soldier. The two soldiers took a few steps back, and talked in hushed voices. After a moment or so, they came back to their positions.  
  
"Who shall I say is asking?" said the soldier.  
  
"Squall. Squall Leonheart."   
  
"Ok wait here." The one soldier said as he marched inside the building. There was an awkward silence between Squall and the remaining guard before he returned.   
  
"I'm sorry." He said, "But Miss Caraway says that she doesn't know you." [I]Doesn't know me? I only saved her life a million times.[/I]   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She says that she doesn't know you." He repeated. Squall was stunned.   
  
"Ask her again…"  
  
"If I could ask you now to leave."  
  
"I'm not leaving until she sees me."  
  
"Leave now or we will make you." The soldier said irritated.  
  
"Make me. I want to see her!" Squall hit the pavement with a thud. He almost turned to fight the soldiers. He knew he could beat them easily, but there was no point. Rinoa obviously didn't want to see him, and he couldn't change that.   
  
He wondered the streets for a while, deep in thought. If she would just say that she didn't want to see him, fine. But this was torture. It's the not knowing that makes life unbearable. He fell back into a park bench, and looked up at the sky. A shooting star shot by. Though gone, the image was imprinted on his retina. Just like the image of Rinoa at the graduation ball where they first met. She pointed to the sky, pointing at the small particle of dust burning up in the atmosphere, sacrificing its life to bring them closer together.  
  
[I]Oh well, best be off.[/I] he thought to himself. He stood up and was about to leave when a young boy, no older than twelve came running past. He held a package in his hand, what it was he couldn't see. Behind him came running three Galbadian soldiers in their blue uniforms.  
  
"Stop, come back!" one of them shouted.   
  
"Its past curfew!" shouted another. The boy carried on running. One of the soldiers caught up with him, and grabbed his arm and pulled him to the ground. He prised the package out of this hand.   
  
"Ah ha!" he shouted. "Plastic explosive?"  
  
"The price for treason, is death!" shouted the soldier at the back. Squall walked over to inspect the scene. Nobody noticed him. The boy spat in the face of one of the guards.  
  
"Death beyond death!" the soldier pointed the gun at his head, and squeezed of one single bullet. The bullet penetrated the skull of the boy, killing him instantly. He was dead before he even heard the bullet that ended his short life. The two other soldiers high-fived. The head of the corpse was splattered with blood and a slow river of red was spreading onto the concrete. His eyes were open, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth. Squall gagged and had to stop himself throwing up.  
  
"Hey good job man." Said one as he patted the soldier with the gun. He just blew the smoke of the gun in his hand, and smiled. Squall jumped into one of the bushes by the road and listened. He could do nothing to save the boy now. Might as well save himself.   
  
"Better call clean-up. " said one guard as he held up his radio. "Delta Gamma, this is Alpha Romeo, we have a fourteen-seventy two in sector three. Do you copy? Over" there was a reply on the other end of the line, but Squall could not make out what it was. Meanwhile, the other two guards were rooting through the pockets of the corpse.   
  
"Yeah, we need a clean-up crew at the bottom of High Street, next to the hotel. What is your ETA? Over."  
  
"Fenson Aldar, his name apparently." Said the soldier who was rooting though the boy's coat. He held up an ID card. Squall had seen enough. He quietly made his getaway.   
  
****************************  
  
Yannie bumped into headmaster Cid in the corridor outside the second floor classrooms.   
  
"Oh sorry sir." She apologised as she picked up her books. "Sir, while I have you, " she started "I was wondering where your wife was. I was looking for her this morning, but I couldn't find her." Cid's face was expressionless.  
  
"Edea has gone away for a while." He said. "Come with me. I need to talk to you." They walked to his office, and once inside, he invited her to sit down. Cid was facing the window.  
  
"Yannie, Edea gave me specific orders when she left. She told me not to tell anyone where she was," he turned to face her, "except you."  
  
"Me?" Yannie was puzzled, though, she thought, she should be used to being confused now.  
  
"Yes. She said that you would probably come to look for her."  
  
"Where is she?" she asked.  
  
"She is at the orphanage. She left this for you." Cid opened his desk and extracted a large brown envelope. He handed it to her. Her name was written on the front. The handwriting looked familiar. Where had she seen it before?  
  
"For me?" she enquired.  
  
"Open it." She peeled of the top, and looked inside. There was a map, showing how to get to the orphanage, and a letter.  
  
"What shall I do?"  
  
"Go. She wants to talk to you. And I know you are dying to talk to her." He smiled. "You have a lot to talk about." She closed the envelope and put it on her lap.  
  
"I shall go."  
  
"Good. Now who shall go with you?"  
  
"With me?"  
  
"You don't think I'll let you go on your own do you? Not after what happened at Esthar?" She looked down and shook her head. "Very well, now, who is free?" he filed through some papers on his desk. "Ah yes." He picked out one piece of paper. "Mr Dygsan. He will do nicely."  
  
"Gered?" Yannie said appalled.  
  
"Yes is there a problem?"  
  
"Uh," Yannie rubbed the back of her head. "Is there no one else?"  
  
"Hmm, let me see…" he looked through some more papers. "Nope, Squall is on leave, Quistis has her teaching responsibilities, and Zell, Irvine and Selphie are helping in training new recruits."  
  
"What about Xu, or Nida?"  
  
"Xu is still ill, and we need Nida to fly Garden. I'm sorry, Gered gets it by default. Is there a problem?" Yannie thought it through logically. She needed desperately to talk to Edea, and if that meant awkward silences, then so be it. She could live with it.  
  
"No, there's no problem."  



	19. What is Happening to the World?

Chapter 19  
  
It was 2:30pm, Yannie was sat at the entrance of Garden, awaiting her escort, who was already ten minutes late. The plan was to catch the train from Balamb to Dollet, and stay on until the train reached Timber. There they would rest until the next day when they would catch the early morning ferry to the Cape of Good Hope, where Edea's house was situated.   
  
She gazed out to the Alcauld Plains, which she affectionately called home. She had quite grown to love the landscape. The way they plains gently sloped down to the ocean, how the forests were speckled about like paint blobs, and sleepy little Balamb Town itself. To the west was the Raha Cape, which was good for practising against Bite Bugs and Glacial Eyes. Then there was the Gaulg Mountains. If you had the enthusiasm to climb right the way to the top of Mount Gaulg, it is rumoured you can actually see to the Hawkwind Plains, The Eldbeak Peninsula, both on the northern continent near Trabia, and on a good day, even as far as the Hasberry plains on the eastern Galbadian continent. And who could forget the Rinauld coast, where on a hot summer's day, one could cool ones feet in the temperate ocean. She looked down the long road that lead from Garden to Balamb itself, and saw a smell speck, that grew lager and lager until it could be distinguished as a person.   
  
Squall had returned to garden a day before he had anticipated. At the front gate he met Yannie. She had a backpack on her shoulder, and was wearing jeans, a fleece jacket and a baseball cap.  
  
"Hey Squall."  
  
"…" Squall gave his usual reply.   
  
"Your back early." She said, trying to break the icy silence. Squall shrugged.  
  
"Suppose." He looked at her and noticed her bag. "Where you going?" he asked.  
  
"Long story, but I'll be away for a few days." Squall turned and walked off.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Whatever." Yannie mimicked behind his back, quiet enough so that Squall did not hear. She sat for a while longer when she heard hurried footsteps behind her.  
  
"Sorry...I…was late." Said Gered out of breath.  
  
"We'll miss the train." Said Yannie as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Lets go."  
  
They walked hurriedly to the station. Neither spoke a word to each other. They boarded the train just in time as the conductor blew his whistle and shouted "All aboard!" They made themselves at home in the SeeD carriage. Every train had its own SeeD only carriage. It was fitted with large leather seats and bunk beds for long journeys. One of the perks of being a SeeD, Yannie thought. She fell back into one of the seats, and it made a 'poof' as the air escaped. Gered walked around the carriage, in admiration of its splendour. It was his first time in one. Finally, he broke the silence.  
  
"Are you not going to ask me why I was late?" Yannie picked up a magazine from the table. Without looking at him, she said  
  
"Nope."  
  
"This is ridiculous." Said Gered sitting beside her. She continued to flip though the pages, pretending she wasn't listening. "We can't be like this forever."  
  
"Why not?" she threw the magazine down at the table. For the first time she looked at him.  
  
"Why? Because this is killing me." He held his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. "Look, I am so sorry for saying what I did. It was a stupid thing to say, and I wish I hadn't." Yannie stayed silent. [I[Accept his apology you fool.[/I] she said to herself. He looked up and continued. "And I'm sorry for thinking there could be something between us. I'm sorry I thought we could be more than just friends." [I]No, I'm sorry. I got scared. I…I… I'm sorry.[/I] "Yann?" She couldn't take anymore and walked over to the bunk beds.  
  
"I'm going to go to sleep for a while. Wake me up when we get there." She fell into the bottom bunk and shut her eyes under the pretence of falling asleep. [I]This is going to be a long train ride…[/I]  
  
*********************  
  
Squall found Quistis in one of the second floor classrooms. She was going through basic status attacks with a class of fourteen-year-olds. He stood at the door, and waited for her to catch his eye. When she did, she held up her index finger to signify 'just one minute.' And continued talking to the class.   
  
"Ok, here is your homework, start it now, and I want it finished for Friday's lesson, understand?" She walked around the class and handed out the papers. "That means Friday Abid Patel. Not Monday." She spoke to a troublesome looking boy at the back of the class.   
  
"Is that your boyfriend Miss?" he asked looking at Squall.  
  
"No, and I'll ask you to mind your own business." She walked towards the front of the classroom. "Can I leave you all alone for five minutes?"  
  
"I bet she is going to go snog her boyfriend." Said Abid in a hushed voice to his neighbour.  
  
"I heard that!" she said appalled. "You can just give me that homework tomorrow." She said smiling. The class laughed, everyone but Abid. She walked out the classroom shutting the door behind her.   
  
"What's the matter Squall?" she said, seeing the look of distress on her friend's face.  
  
"What's the situation with Galbadia at the moment?" he asked. Quistis was puzzled.  
  
"Why do you ask?" Squall hesitated.  
  
"I went to Deling." He said.  
  
"Oh," Quistis said stunned. "Because of Rinoa?" he nodded. "Ah, well, what happened?"  
  
"She didn't want to see me." Quistis put a reassuring arm on Squall's shoulder. Squall did not dwell on his unhappiness. "The reason I ask is because, well, things were just not right."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Three Galbadian soldiers chased down a twelve year old boy and shot him dead in the street."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"He was carrying plastic explosives. And they mentioned something about a curfew. How long has Deling had a curfew?!"  
  
"As long as I have known, never." Quistis was unsettled by this news from beyond the sea.  
  
"There's more. The soldier before he killed him shouted 'The punishment for treason is death. Death beyond death!' That's not the first time we've heard that."  
  
"You don't think…we killed her!"  
  
"I know, its probably just coincidence."  
  
"I hope so too. Listen, I have to see to my class. Meet me in the canteen in an hour. We'll talk more then."  
  
"Ok." Said Squall, and left with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
  



	20. The Failed SeeD

Chapter 20  
  
Squall was sat in the canteen after lessons had finished, just as Quistis had asked. He had a hotdog in front of him, but he didn't feel much like eating. The red ketchup spilling onto the plate reminded him too much of the young boy's brains spilling out onto the tarmac. Nauseous, he pushed the plate away.   
  
"Hey Squall." Quistis said. Squall was stirred from his hideous flashback.  
  
"Hey."   
  
"You ok? You look real pale."  
  
"Am I? Sorry." Quistis sat down next to him.   
  
"Whatever it is, tell me." Squall lay his head down on the table in his arms. "Squall? Don't do this. Open up. Don't shut yourself away again. Tell me." He turned away. A single teardrop rolled down his cheek. "Is it Rinoa? Its Rinoa isn't it? Squall you need to get over her, make a fresh…"  
  
"It's not Rinoa." He looked up, and wiped his eye dry. Quistis pretended not to notice. "She wants nothing to do with me. I can accept that now." If it wasn't Rinoa, then what was it? Thought Quistis.   
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Nothing." Squall got up to walk away, and Quistis pulled him back down forcing him to sit.  
  
"Oh no you don't. You're not running away this time." She spoke with a sterness in her voice. "Now, you are telling me what is the matter, or I'm not letting you go."  
  
"Ok, ok." She reluctantly let go of his arm.  
  
"Tell me…" Squall paused and took a long deep breath.  
  
"I could have saved him Quisty. I just stood back and let them kill him."  
  
"Who? The boy in Deling?" he nodded. With a choked up voice he said,  
  
"They shot him in the street. He was defenceless. Defenceless!" he slammed his fist down onto the table emphasising his point.  
  
"Squall…"  
  
"What is the third rule in the SeeD oath."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tell me, the third rule in the oath!" Quistis filed through in her mind. It had been a long time since she had had to say it herself, although she always stressed the importance of remembering it to her students.  
  
"Um, outside of missions, only use your knowledge and skill in defence of yourself, the weak or…" she paused. "the defenceless."  
  
"It says it right there in the oath! I failed in my duties as a SeeD!"  
  
"Squall, you didn't fail." She put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I did! Because of my incapability's as a fighter, I doomed that boy to his death."  
  
"You didn't pull the trigger. It wasn't your fault."  
  
"I am responsible. I did nothing. It was…is my fault."  
  
"Squall, you can not think like that." She said looking him in the eyes.  
  
"What other way is there to think?" he laid his head back on the table. "I'm tired of all the fighting. I'm fed up with all of this senseless killing. Why can't we live in peace."  
  
"In a perfect would we would. But this world ain't perfect. That is why we are here. SeeDs of today, to bring the peace of tomorrow. Together," she held on to his hand "we make the perfect world."  
  
"In a perfect world that boy wouldn't be dead." He pulled away from her, and she let him go. He walked to the door of the canteen and was about to leave, when he heard a voice over the intercom.  
  
[I]"Ding Ding! This is headmaster Cid speaking. We have a situation, could Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine all come up to the bridge please. Urgently. I repeat we have a situation. Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine, all to the bridge now! Code red!" Ding![/I]   
  
Squall looked over to Quistis who was looking back at him. They only ever issued code reds under extreme circumstances. They had never issued one before. Quistis felt her stomach knot. Her face had turned as pale as Squall's. She nodded at him and they ran up to the bridge.  
  
***************************  
  
Yannie was right. It was a long train journey. After their argument at the beginning of the journey, neither spoke, except for Gered who asked her if she wanted a drink, as he was making himself one. The answer to that polite question was a rather gruff 'No'.  
  
The train arrived in timber at 8:30pm. Yannie had dozed off on the bottom bunk. Gered prodded her with a newspaper.  
  
"Get up, were here."  
  
"Huh?" she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Where?"  
  
"Timber you fool. Get up, unless you want to go to Deling." She got up and stretched. She followed Gered off the train. She stood at the station and watched the train leave.   
  
"Oh shit! My bag!" she began to run after the train. "Stop! Stop! You've got my bag!" The train sped up and left the station. Gered leaned up against a pillar and laughed quietly to himself. "What are you looking at?" she growled as she walked back to him. He held his arms in the air as a mocking surrender. He was still smiling. "Oh yes you can smile, but that bag has the map in it."  
  
"This bag?" he said as he held up her rucksack, which he picked up from the train when they left.  
  
"Why you…" she grabbed the bag off him and threw it over her shoulder. "You let me run after that train, you evil, conniving… "  
  
"Hey, learn to take a joke man." She laughed as he picked up his own bag, and walked to the exit of the station.  
  
"Jokes are meant to be funny!" she said emphasising the word funny, stamping her foot on the ground.  
  
"Well I was laughing." He said.   
  
"Hey, where are you going?" she ran after him. "You're supposed to be looking after me!"  
  
***********************  
  
"What's the situation sir?" asked a distressed Quistis.  
  
"Look here." Cid motioned toward a round circular radar screen. As the green line made its circular path around the screen, Quistis noticed what he was referring to.   
  
"What is it?" asked Zell, who couldn't see the screen. Nida answered.  
  
"A fleet of Galbadian ships. They are heading right this way."  
  
"For us?" asked Selphie. She couldn't take it if the dammed Galbadians blew another Garden she loved so much to pieces.  
  
"We can't tell yet, but all indications say that the fleet will most probably be heading for Balamb town itself."  
  
"Ma!" Zell shouted, pushing his way to the front staring down at the radar. "What do we do?" Cid answered.  
  
"I've assembled our finest SeeDs and they are making their way to Balamb as we speak."  
  
"I've got to go too." Shouted Zell. Squall grabbed him as he made his way to the elevator.  
  
"No, stay here. You can't get personally involved."  
  
"Dammit, they made this personal when they decided to attack my home."  
  
"What do they want with Balamb anyway?" asked Irvine.  
  
"That we just don't know." Answered Xu, who was stood by Nida, looking at the radar, now fully recovered from the flu.   
  
"What's the plan?" asked Squall.  
  
"Selphie, you Irvine and Quistis lead the defence at Balamb. I think using a twelve-sixteen triple triangle formation would be best."  
  
"Couldn't put it better myself sir." Said Quistis.  
  
"Go now, your team is waiting at the front gate. Hurry!" The three saluted and exited towards the elevator.  
  
"What about us?" said Zell.  
  
"You and Squall run things here." Said Cid.  
  
"No way, I wanna go kick some Galbadian butt!" shouted Zell.  
  
"Sir," said Squall "Surely it will only take one of us to stay behind. I think Zell should go with the others." To tell the truth, Squall just didn't want Zell hanging around him. He gets very defensive of his family, and would have been unbearable if he couldn't fight for them. Cid rubbed his head.  
  
"Go on then. We need as many men out there as we can."  
  
"Thanks Sir!" Zell shouted. He gave a hurried salute and joined the others.  
  
"What shall I do?" asked Squall.  
  
"Lead the operation from here. It's in your hands now."  
  
********************  
  
General Caraway knocked the door to the captain's room.  
  
"Excuse me…" he said in a timid voice.  
  
"Enter!" a voice boomed from within. He did as he was commanded. In front of the desk was a high-backed swivel chair. The person within was concealed. "Have you news?"  
  
"Yes. The operation is going to plan. Half the SeeDs are now at Balamb. The Garden is full of rookies and Cadets."  
  
"Ripe for attack." The figure flicked back a lock of long grey hair. "Perfekt."  
  
"Your orders?"  
  
"Proceed as planned. Once we reach Balamb, we turn and head to Garden. You may leave now." Caraway stood motionless for a while. "Is there anything else General?"  
  
"Umm, I was wondering, about, my daughter…?"  
  
"What, Rinoa? She is dead."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Is something wrong General?"  
  
"No…I guess not."  
  
"Please leave now." The general did as he was told, and left.   
  



	21. Invasion

Chapter 21  
  
"Zell, what are you doing here?" asked a confused Selphie.  
  
"I'm here to fight baby!" Zell and Irvine high-fived.  
  
"No time for that now. Lets get to Balamb." Said Quistis. "The team is assembled there waiting for our orders."  
  
"Lets not keep them waiting then!" Zell sprinted of towards the entrance to Balamb. The others followed.  
  
By the sea front were assembled a group of two hundred SeeDs, many of them highly qualified. Quistis stood in front of them all. Self appointed leader; the others let her take that position.  
  
"Can I have your attention please!" she shouted. Immediately every SeeD there turned around to face her. "Thank you." She coughed. "The enemy shall be arriving anytime soon. Here is the plan. SeeDs, whose last ID number is even, take the West Side by the hotel. You shall be lead by Selphie and Irvine. SeeDs, whose last number is odd, you can take the East Side by the station. I shall lead you. Students whose ID ends in zero, are to evacuate the town under the orders of Zell. Does everyone know what to do?" there were mummers of agreement. "Check your junctions and GF." She gave them a few moments to check. "Now go!" she shouted. "And good luck!"  
  
Soon enough the Seeds were spread out in an orderly line along the coast. Zell's party of twenty SeeDs were knocking on doors, evacuating all inhabitants. Zell knocked on the door of his own house.  
  
"Ma! Ma!" he rapped on the door. "Ma! Get out!" the door opened. Ma Dincht threw her arms around her son.  
  
"Oh I'm so glad it was you. I heard all the commotion and thought it was those pesky Galbadians again."   
  
"It is. They're heading right towards us. We're are evacuating the town."   
  
"Oh, alright. Just let me pack some…" Zell grabbed his mother's arm.  
  
"No time to pack. You have to leave now!"   
  
"But…"  
  
"No buts!" he almost dragged her out the house. "Go with those SeeDs. They will take you to Garden. You should be safe there."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I'm staying to fight."   
  
"Oh Zell. You be safe you hear!" again she hugged him. "Don't do anything stupid."  
  
"I wont mom."   
  
"Sir," said a young SeeD with ginger hair as he saluted him. "We have all the civilians assembled. What are you orders?" Zell looked at his mom.  
  
"Mom, you go with this man here, I promise you'll be ok." Reluctantly she let her son go, and joined the other townspeople. "Take them all to Balamb Garden. They should be safe there."  
  
"Sir!" he saluted and turned. Zell watched as all the inhabitants of his hometown were ushered out of the archway. Zell ran down to the sea front and stood next to Quistis.  
  
"What now?" he asked.  
  
"Did you get all the civilians out?" he nodded. "Now, we show them they can't mess with us."  
  
************************  
  
Back at garden, Squall was nervously pacing up and down the bridge.   
  
"Nida, what's the ETA?"  
  
"Four minuets."  
  
"Four minutes? And have they evacuated the town?"  
  
"I believe so. They are bringing the civilians here."  
  
"Right." He rubbed his head. Cid entered the room.  
  
"I have reports from the intelligence room. They've been picking up radio-waves." He handed over a piece of paper to Squall. He read it out loud.  
  
"Sixteen small interceptors, four war-frigates, two attack cannons, and one battle cruiser." He looked up. "We can take them." [I]I hope…[/I]  
  
"What's the news from the sea front?" asked Xu. "Do they have a visual?"   
  
"I'll check." Squall held up the back of his wrist to his mouth. "Alpha team, this is base. Do you read over?" he heard static, then Quistis's voice.  
  
[I]"This is Alpha team, we copy over."[/I]  
  
"Alpha team, do you have visual? Over."  
  
[I]"Negative base, we do not have a visual, repeat, no visual. Over."[/I]  
  
"Over and out." He looked up and shook his head.  
  
"I'll try Beta team." He held up his mouthpiece again. "Beta team, this is base do you copy over?" after a similar conversation, he once again shook his head. "Where the hell are they?"  
  
*******************  
  
"General!" shouted the grey haired figure. Caraway scuttled into the captain's room. "Give the order, take of the kloak."  
  
"Right away."  
  
*********************  
  
Zell looked out to sea. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.   
  
"I don't get it. Where are they?" Quistis shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. But hey, if they don't want to show their faces, fine by me." It was deathly quiet. The waves gently hit the sea wall below. A flock of seagulls flew by. The wind whispered in the tress. Nobody made a sound. They were awaiting the arrival of the non-existent fleet. Then, the quietness was broken, by a sound of motors and rushing water, quietly at first, then getting louder and louder. "What the…?" Just at the moment she said that, she noticed that the sea was beginning to get rather choppy. Triangular waves pointing towards the coastline where being thrown up along with ocean spray, as if something was pushing it.   
  
"Huh?" said Zell.  
  
[I]"Alpha this is Beta."[/I] Shouted Selphie's voice from Quistis's wrist. [I]"Quistis, do you see that?"[/I]  
  
"Yeah I see it."  
  
[I]"What the Hyne is it?"[/I] Before Quistis could reply, behind the waves seemed to shimmer with silver. Loosely translucent shapes began to form, and then a fleet of ships took shape.  
  
"Holy shit…" said Zell.  
  
[I]"Quistis, Zell, what the hell is it?"[/I]  
  
"I think," said Quistis into her wrist, while looking at Zell, "that is our fleet." Quistis pressed a button on the miniature intercom. "Base, base, come in base, this is Alpha team. We have a visual! Repeat visual! Over."  
  
[I]"We see it."[/I] came Squall's voice over the intercom.  
  
"They're coming straight towards us!" shouted Zell. "They're gonna crash into us!"  
  
"You're right." Said Quistis. "Alpha team! Retreat! Retreat!" the ninety SeeDs under her control obeyed her orders and ran away from the coast as quickly as possible. She spoke into the intercom. "Beta Team, retreat!"  
  
[I]"Way ahead of you there Quistis!"[/I]  
  
The ships came closer and closer to the sea wall, at an alarming rate of acceleration.   
  
"It's going to crash!" shouted a SeeD. But before they crashed, they heard a 'whoosh' and the sound of an ignited fire. Not looking behind, Quistis noticed it began to rain. Nothing in itself, but there hadn't been a cloud in the sky. But now the sky turned dark. Quistis looked up and saw the dark underbelly of the ships flying above her. The 'rain' was the seawater dripping off the underside. She ran even faster. She could feel the heat of the flaming exhaust on her face, and the slipstream was blowing about her hair.  
  
"Everyone, get to Garden! Now!" she shouted.   
  
**************************  
  
"Hahahahaha!" The sorceress stood leaning on her desk looking out the window. "Fools! Look how you run!" she turned to face Caraway who was stood behind her. "Kome here! Look at that. Isn't it wonderful?" He came over and looked trough the window. Below the SeeDs scurried about like ants.  
  
"Yes, I suppose so." While she looking out the window Caraway snook a quick glance at the sorceress. She had long grey hair, and on her face, veins had started to show on her cheekbones. These had been covered up with red and black tattoos. Her lips were bright red, and her eyes a shade of gold.   
  
"What are you looking at?" she shouted at Caraway.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"You think you kan look upon a sorceress?"  
  
"I…Uh…" but before he could come up with an answer, the sorceress pointed out one finger, and sent him flying across the room in a ball of fire. In a crumpled heap in the corner, he curled up in agony.  
  
"You will pay for your insolence." She looked at him writhing on the floor. "Is there something wrong general?"  
  
"Ughhhhh…" he moaned.  
  
"Get out of my sight. You mortals sicken me!" Caraway crawled to the door, and left on his hands and knees.  
  
"Fool." She whispered to herself gazing out of the window once more.   
  
********************  
  
"I don't get it." Said Squall, looking over at Balamb through binoculars. "What are they doing?" he held up his intercom. "Quistis, what is going on?"   
  
[I]Squall, get out of there! They're heading straight toward Garden!"[/I]  
  
"Oh no!" he looked out. The ships were approaching fast. They would arrive in less than three minutes. "Nida, can we fly Garden away?"  
  
"Negative. It will take at least twenty minutes to warm up the engines, and even then we wouldn't be able to outrun them."   
  
"Shit, were going to have to stay and fight!" Squall pressed the button for the main Garden intercom on the bridge's control panel. "Attention all students! This is your commander. We are under attack. The only way they are getting in is through the main gate. I want all SeeDs assembled there ASAP. We cannot let them in. All joiner classmen are to go to the dorms. It will be safe there. SeeDs at the front gate, await my orders, I shall come immediately."  
  
"Squall…" said Cid, who was looking very worried at the prospect of his Garden under attack by the Galbadians again.  
  
"Sir!" Squall said as he saluted. "They are not getting in. I promise."  
  
"Go fight for us. And be careful." Cid said as he saluted back.   
  
"Yes sir." Squall rode the elevator down to the ground floor, and ran to the garden exit. All the SeeDs were assembled there. Most of them were rookies, they had only been SeeDs for a few months at most. All of the best SeeDs were in Balamb. Many of them were not in uniform. "Whatever happens," he shouted, "Stop them entering at all costs!"  
  
"We'll die for this Garden commander!" shouted one young SeeD. The rest cheered in agreement. [I]I hope I doesn't come to that…[/I] he thought to himself.  
  
The ships were fast approaching. As they flew over the Alcauld plains, the interceptors landed, and travelled the rest of the short distance on wheels. Behind the war-frigates loomed the ominously large battle cruiser, where the sorceress was, most probably thought Squall. It travelled much slower than the rest, due to its large size. The interceptors landed first, each as large as an average bus. They screeched to a halt, and four doors in each one opened. Out of two doors came five Galbadian soldiers each, from the other two doors came a motorcyclist. The SeeDs on the front line went forward and attacked first. Squall, stood on the steps was about to charge forward, when he noticed a small capsule be released from the hefty battle-cruiser.   
  
"I'm ready to fight!" shouted Nida who followed him from the bridge.   
  
"Me too. " said Xu who was stood behind him.  
  
"Good. You two take control of things here. I have to deal with something." there was no time for questions. Squall ran of in the direction of the quad, leaving Xu and Nida in control of things on the battleground.  
  
********************  
  
The Sorceress, Caraway and three Elite Soldiers were aboard the emergency escape pod. One of the soldiers was at the dashboard, manoeuvring the pod to land in the open aired quad.  
  
"Do you think they saw us?" asked Caraway.  
  
"Impossible. They would be to busy fighting."  
  
"Hmmm." Said Caraway quietly to himself.  
  
"What was that General?"  
  
"Nothing, your Highness."  
  
"Good. If I thought you were questioning me…"  
  
"We are ready to land your Highness." Interrupted one of he soldiers.  
  
"Very well, land us over there."  
  
***********************  
  
Squall ran up to the quad. When he arrived he heard a thud, and was just in time to see the pod land. Three Elite Galbadian Soldiers exited, followed by Caraway.  
  
"You!" they shouted in unison at each other.  
  
"Guards. Capture him!" The three soldiers attacked together. They were a lot tougher than the usual Galbadian cannon fodder, but once Squall had aura and Renzokukened them they fell easier than a pack of cards. "Uh, uh…" stuttered Caraway. Squall walked over and grabbed him by the throat.  
  
"I should've known you'd be behind this!"   
  
"Ugh…" he gagged. Squall loosened his grip slightly. "Let me explain…"  
  
"I don't want your explanations. Where is Rinoa?"  
  
"Rinoa is gone…"  
  
"What? Dead?" he nodded. Before Squall had time to give an emotional response, Caraway was lifted out of his grip and floated across the room. When he had landed on the floor, he ran out of the Quad. Squall noticed the Figure that had come out of the pod.   
  
"You!" he shouted. "We killed you!" the sorceress just laughed.  
  
"Mere mortal. You will never understand." Squall unsheathed his Gunblade and was prepared to fight.  
  
**********************  
  
At the front gate, things were going bad. Many of the SeeDs had fallen, and there were still many Galbadians. The SeeDs were outnumbered almost three to one.  
  
"What can we do?" shouted Nida  
  
"We can't give up. We have to protect Garden, or die trying." Replied Xu as she cast a firaga spell on a soldier. "I'm going over there, they need some help." She said motioning towards a group of three SeeDs surrounded by six Galbadian soldiers. Nida nodded and focused his attention on a motorcyclist headed directly for the gate.  
  
When Xu arrived, she immediately hit one of the soldiers with a sharp left hook to the nose. She cast thundaga on another soldier while simultaneously kicking another in the shin. The relived SeeDs started a counter attack. Xu grabbed hold of one of the soldiers who was about to cast a spell on one of the young SeeDs. He turned instead on focused the spell on her. She hit the floor as icicles surrounded her, filling her with the most intense cold. She was lay on the floor, and the soldier raised his sword in the air. She was too week to fight back, and so accepted the inevitable. She thought about all the things that she was going to miss. She thought about Nida, and how he would cope without her. In that split second, her entire life flashed before her eyes. However, the attack did not come. She looked up and saw the body of the Galbadian soldier lying on the ground. Behind was stood Irvine, rifle in hand blowing of the smoke from the double barrels.  
  
Back up had arrived. The more experienced SeeDs who had been sent to Balamb had turned up at just the right moment. The tables had now turned in their favour.  
  
*********************  
  
Squall stared at the sorceress, and she stared back.   
  
"You bitch. You killed Rinoa!" he shouted. He circled her with his Lionheart in the attack position.  
  
"True, Rinoa is dead."  
  
"Aggggghhhhhhhhh!" he screamed as he lunged at her with his Gunblade. She mealy pointed a finger and sent him spiralling across the room. His Gunblade flew up into the air and he had to roll out of the way to miss it. He stood up as best he could and picked up his sword again.   
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." She said shaking a finger. She walked over to him and leaned down, hands on knees and turned her head slightly. "And I thought you were supposed to be the sorceress knight. You let your sorceress down sir knight."  
  
"I'll kill you!" once again he lunged, and once again he was thrown back. The sorceress paced the room.   
  
"Squall Squall Squall." She said. "I thought more highly of you. I never thought you'd give up so easily. Squall concentrated for a moment. Then, with the little power he had left, he cast his only apocalypse spell on the sorceress. After the attack, she fell to the floor.   
  
"You shall pay for that." She said in a calm voice. She threw a ball of fire towards him, and he dived out of the way, so that it just missed him. Again, another ball, and he ran to avoid it. She paused, and closed her eyes for a moment. Squall took this opportunity to charge at her. But as he reached her, she disappeared. His Gunblade sliced thin air. Then all turned dark. A million bats swarmed together and formed a great black orb. From this orb descended a familiar being.   
  
"Diablos?" Squall stuttered. The mighty demon thrust his hand inside the black orb, and with all his might threw it down on to Squall. Pain tore through his body; his head felt as if it would explode under the sheer gravity of it. It subsided, and in the face of the beast, Squall could almost see pity. Then Diablos as suddenly as he arrived burst into a cloud of a thousand bats and disappeared. Squall was transported back to the quad, and fell to the floor, barley conscious.  
  
********************  
  
Outside, the battle was nearly over. The SeeDs now outnumbered the Galbadians four to one.  
  
"Come on you scum!" shouted Zell. He charged toward a soldier who had cornered a young SeeD. Once swift punch to the face and he ran away clutching his nose.  
  
Selphie used her cunning. She ran away from a group of soldiers looking very scared. They followed, and she backed herself up against a wall. [I]Ok, now look real scared.[/I] she said to herself.  
  
"No, please don't hurt me!" she shouted as she cunningly cast aura on herself without the guards noticing. In her mind, she cycled through her limit breaks. She now had about six or seven soldiers surrounding her. [I]Please let this work, please let this work…[/I] She crouched down in a ball on the floor.   
  
"Come on come on come on." She quietly chanted holding her head in her hands. The soldiers stood there confused. "Yes!" she stood up, and threw her hands in the air. "The End!" she shouted. The soldiers disappeared, and upon their return moments later, all collapsed to the floor. Irvine looked over and saw Selphie biting her nail, surrounded by seven dead Galbadian soldiers. He sighed, smiled, shook his head, and continued firing rounds at a motorcyclist.   
  
The end of the battle was in sight.  
  
***********************   
  
General Caraway had searched the Garden, high and low, but there was no trace of her anywhere. Only one thing for it he thought.  
  
The door opened to the elevator, in what used to be Cid's old office.   
  
"General Caraway, what a lovely surprise." Cid said mockingly. "Why am I not surprised you are behind this?"  
  
"Where is she."  
  
"Why don't you sit down hey?" Cid walked over to a small cabinet and turned his back on Caraway. "Drink? Brandy, whisky…" Cid heard a click behind him. He turned to find Caraway pointing a gun at his head. "Maybe not then." He continued to pour himself one.  
  
"Just tell me, and I'll pull back the troops. Call them off, let you be."  
  
"You never made any sense did you?" said Cid, taking a sip of his whisky.  
  
"If you would co-operate…"  
  
"How can I co-operate if I don't know what, or who you want?" Cid said, never breaking his eye contact with the General.  
  
"The girl, what is her name? Yannie. Yannie Ocaspe. The sorceress wants her."  
  
"Sorceress? Sorceress who?"  
  
"Just Sorceress to you. Now, where is she?"  
  
"She isn't here." He said swishing the whisky in his glass.  
  
"Where?" Cid shrugged. He was about to raise the glass to his mouth, when Caraway shot at it, sending shards of glass and whisky everywhere.  
  
"Never liked that vintage anyway." He said calmly and collected.  
  
"Are you going to help us or…" he was interrupted by his radio that was attached to his belt.  
  
[I]"General we have to retreat. There's too many. We can't take them. I repeat, we are retreating over![/I]  
  
Caraway picked up his radio and spoke into it. Glaring at Cid, he said. "Understood. Over and out." He put he radio back on his belt. "It seems we have underestimated this little academy of yours." Cid couldn't help but smile. "Come with me!" he shouted as he grabbed Cid's arm, and forced the gun into the small of his back. "The sorceress will deal with you."  
  
***********************  
  
The sorceress stood menacingly over Squall. He was curled up in a ball. He was drifting out of consciousness fast, and had a battle to hold on. Something shimmered around her neck as she knelt down, but he couldn't focus clearly on it.  
  
"You shouldn't make promises you kan't keep." She said, almost in a whisper.   
  
[I]What does she mean?[/I]   
  
"You said, 'Even if you bekome the worlds enemy, I'll still be your knight.' Remember?"  
  
[I]How does she know this?[/I]   
  
"Well, here I am, the world's enemy. Where are you?"   
  
[I]Try to focus on it…[/I]   
  
"I will be here, waiting, so, if you kome here, you will find me." She moved her head to only a few inches away from his head. "I promise."   
  
[I]What is that?[/I]  
  
"Promise…"  
  
[I]Familiar…[/I]  
  
"A broken promise."  
  
[I]Two rings on a necklace? No…[/I]  
  
"Rinoa!" he cried out.  
  
"Rinoa died a long time ago. Only the sorceress remains."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Shh now." She placed a finger on his lips. "No more talk."  
  
"Rinoa…" he lost his battle with conciseness.   
  



	22. A BrickedUp Heart

Chapter 22  
  
Unaware of the havoc she was causing at Garden, Yannie and Gered arrived at the Timber Hotel. It was a quaint little place, the only hotel in Timber. In the foyer was a small model railroad, lovingly handcrafted by the owner of the hotel. Timber never got many tourists. Many were put off because of its recent troubled past, with the resistance groups and the Galbadian take-over. Gered rang the bell on the reception. A cheery receptionist, who wore too much make-up, came through the doors.  
  
"Hello, welcome to the Timber Hotel, how may I help you?" she said smiling showing rows of pristine white teeth.  
  
"We have a booking under the name Ocaspe and Dygsan." Said Gered. The smiley orange-faced receptionist flicked through her book.  
  
"I'm sorry, no bookings under that name."  
  
"Oh…ok…try, Kramer." Again she looked through.   
  
"Sorry." She shook her head. "We do have some rooms free though." He sighed. Cid was supposed to ring up in advance after they had left to book two rooms. It wasn't like Cid to forget.  
  
"Two single rooms please then."   
  
"I'm sorry, all we have is one room with two beds. Is that ok."   
  
"I suppose it will have to be. How much?"  
  
"400 Gil a night for the room." The smiley receptionist said. That's a 100 Gil deposit now and the rest when you leave." Gered got out his wallet and handed over two fifty-Gil notes. "Thank you, here is your key. Room seven, down the corridor, second on the right." She pointed to a swing door.  
  
The room was comfortable enough. There were too beds, one by the window, and one on the opposing wall. The view was that of the station. The trains had helped make Timber into the thriving community it is. Yannie threw her bag onto the bed by the window. She gazed out.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Gered enquired.  
  
"Just the trains." She paused, "I've never been here before." She said.  
  
"I've been here once. Though it was on a SeeD mission, so I didn't really see too much of the place." Then an idea struck him. "Hey, it's only," he looked at his watch, "ten to nine. Why don't we go for a drink in the pub, or walk around or something?" she almost agreed to his invitation, before realising that she was still in a mood with him.  
  
"No, I'm fine." She turned her back on him and gazed out the window. The plumes of smoke from the steam trains billowed up into the sky, and made surreal patterns on the pink and orange sunset backdrop. "You go, I'll be fine on my own."  
  
"Just like you always are." He whispered to himself.   
  
"I heard that." She growled. Gered fell down onto his bed.  
  
"I'm gonna get some shut-eye." He said turning on his side away from her. It wasn't an empty threat. Within minutes he was fast asleep.  
  
***************  
  
[I]I'm there again. The stone house by the sea. It's familiar. I lived there. I know that. Many SeeDs grew up there. That's not unique.  
  
I'm nine. Matron has been acting strange. There's a room that is always locked. Strange noises often some from that room.  
  
Crying.  
  
Billy and me decide to see what's in that room. We can't get in through the door. So we sneak around the side. The brickwork comes loose, and we pull out a few dusty blocks. Inside is dark, and we can't see. Billy gets scared and runs away.   
  
My eyes adjust to the light. In the corner is a girl. She is all-alone.   
  
"Come here." She shakes her head. I hold out my hand. "Please." Her tiny grip grasps my hand, and I pull her through the hole. She flinches away from the sun, and covers her eyes. She is lucky. The supply ship comes today. I take her to the small pier and put her on the ship. Tell her to hide.  
  
The ship sails. I never see her again. Matron is cross, but she never finds out it was me.[/I]  
  
Gered was woken from his dream by quiet sobbing. He looked over, and saw Yannie sat on her bed, reading a letter.   
  
"What's the matter?" he said concerned.  
  
"Nothing! Mind your own business!" she snapped. He stood up and went beside her.  
  
"Let me help. Let me see." She sniffled.  
  
"Its nothing. Just me being stupid."  
  
"Its not nothing if its making you cry." He took the letter out of her hand. Yannie wiped her eyes dry with the sleeves of her jumper. Gered read the letter.  
  
[I]Dear Yannie[/I] it began. [I]No doubt you are looking for answers. We all are. Hopefully by the time you read this, you will be on your way to seeing me. I'm sure you've already pieced together some pieces of the puzzle yourself. I hope I can fill in the blanks. What I have to tell you, I can not tell you in a simple letter, and I hope you understand my reasoning behind my not telling you the truth when you first came to Garden. You have probably already realised it was me who sent you the armlet that you wear.  
  
You have no idea of your importance in the history of the future. I do not want to alarm you, so I shall not elaborate until we meet face to face.  
  
Enclosed is a map and written directions of how to get to my house. I await your arrival soon.  
  
Yours truly,  
  
Edea Kramer[/I]  
  
"But what's the matter with this? You're going to get answers. Isn't that what you've always craved?"  
  
"Yes, but, its actually happening. Tomorrow, I get a past." She sighed. "I'm just scared of what it may lead to."  
  
"Think about tomorrow when it comes."  
  
"I just got a real bad feeling about this."  
  
"Its probably just nerves." Gered sympathised. "You sure you don't want to go for that drink?" she shook her head.   
  
"Just leave me alone."  
  
"You can't cope on your own. Talk to me." She turned around and shouted,  
  
"I said go away!"  
  
"No! Not this time. You can run, but I am not leaving." He sat down adamantly on the bed.  
  
"You always have to be so stubborn don't you?" she said. She stood up.  
  
"Me stubborn? Looked in the mirror recently?"  
  
"I am not stubborn!"  
  
"Yes you are." He walked towards her. "I've never met anyone stubborner than you! Stubborn and untrusting!"  
  
"That was uncalled for." Yannie said quietly.  
  
"But is it? I know you've had it tough, but you have to learn to trust people."  
  
"So, if I'm so bad, why you hang around me?"  
  
"Because I…"   
  
"You are so annoying. Obnoxious, rude, selfish. I could go on all day. I hate you…you…"  
  
"I love you." Yannie froze.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I don't care if you hate me, because I love you." There was no reply. "Yann?" she walked toward the door, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "I know you love me too. I've seen it in your eyes." She shook her head.  
  
"No I don't."  
  
"I know this is hard for you but."  
  
"I don't love you."  
  
"Look me in the eyes and say that." She turned and faced him. She looked into his eyes. "If it's true, then say it."  
  
"I…" before she knew what she was doing, she flung her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips. A bit surprised, he kissed her back. "…love you."  
  



	23. They Took Cid

Chapter 23  
  
Outside on the battlefield, a great cheer rose as the Galbadian soldiers withdrew in numbers.  
  
"Yeah! And you stay out!" shouted Selphie.   
  
"We did it! We showed them!" shouted an equally happy Zell. Medical staff and specially trained SeeDs went around issuing potions and phoenix-downs to the injured. Those seriously injured were taken to the medical bay. These people were thankfully few in numbers.   
  
"Where's Squall?" asked Nida to Quistis. Quistis shrugged.  
  
"I thought he was with you."  
  
"We thought he was with you." He replied. Quistis walked over to Zell Irvine and Selphie who were stood in a group with some battle-weary SeeDs, still on a high from their victory.  
  
"Have any of you seen Squall?" she asked. They all shook their heads.   
  
"I haven't seen him since we left for Balamb." Said Selphie. Quistis had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her common sense was telling her that Squall was the most experienced fighter in garden. Her instinct said something terrible had happened.   
  
"I'm gonna go look for him." She told them, and left them to bask in their well deserved victory.  
  
After searching half of Garden, Quistis went to the quad. There on the floor, she found Squall's crumpled body. Quistis held her hands up to her mouth and gasped. She ran over to him, and knelt down.  
  
"Squall?" she said lightly patting his face. "Squall?" her voice was strained as she held back the tears. "Talk to me. What happened." He slowly opened his eyes.  
  
"She was here…"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"…Rinoa." Quistis dismissed his words as delusions.   
  
"Squall, we are going to get some help, ok?" she looked around for help. The only person she saw was a junior classman. "You!" she shouted out. "Get the Doctor, now!" the young boy ran of to carry out his new assignment.  
  
"Quisty…I let her down. I'm…I can't be…I was the sorceresses knight…but…"  
  
"Shhh, save your energy." He grabbed her collar.  
  
"I broke my promise. It's all my fault. All of this!"  
  
"Don't be stupid. It's not your fault." Quistis looked up for signs of help arriving.  
  
"The boy in Deling…if I kept my promise…sorceresses turn bad without a knight!" she didn't fully understand what he was talking about, but she nodded her head in agreement anyway.  
  
"Help will be here soon."  
  
"She took Cid." This grabbed Quistis's attention.  
  
"What? Who took Cid?"  
  
"The sorceress! Rinoa!" he shouted out.  
  
"Squall, I don't understand!" it was at this point that three SeeD medics arrived carrying a stretcher. "Over here!" Quistis shouted. The three medics, dressed in white SeeD uniforms with a red cross on the back ran over. They lifted Squall up onto the stretcher and carried him away. Quistis held Squall's hand as they ran along the corridor to the infirmary.   
  
"I'm sorry, you will have to wait outside for now." Said one medic as he placed a hand on Quistis's shoulder. She nodded, and he entered the infirmary shutting the door behind him.  
  
"Better go find the others." She said to herself.   
  
Outside, Irvine, Selphie and Zell were helping with the clean up. Xu and Nida had taken charge and were issuing jobs for every SeeD. Some of the junior classmen had come down when they heard of the Galbadian retreat, and had got roped into collecting items and weapons left behind by the vanquished army. Everyone was busy restoring Garden to its original state.  
  
"Irvine, Selphie, Zell," said Quistis when she saw the three. "Come with me, I have to talk to you."  
  
"Aw, Quisty," said Zell, "Can it wait."  
  
"I'm afraid not." The three followed her. They reached the Garden foyer, and were assembled in front of the directory. Selphie noticed how pale Quistis looked.  
  
"Are you ok? You look real pale. And where is Squall."  
  
"That's what I want to talk to you about. I found Squall. He was barley conscious on the floor of the quad." The others were stunned into silence for a few moments. Irvine spoke.  
  
"Who did it?"  
  
"I couldn't get much sense out of him." She began, "But he went on about a sorceress, and Rinoa. I think there's a new sorceress, and from what I can gather, she had kidnapped Rinoa."  
  
"No…"  
  
"I'm afraid so. Although, I couldn't make out much from what he was saying, so I could be mistaken."  
  
"That's terrible." Said Selphie.  
  
"There's more." Quistis paused. "This same sorceress has kidnapped Cid. This much I know to be true, as I have searched everywhere, and cant find him, and he is not answering his radio."  
  
"Get rid of one sorceress, and another one comes along!" Zell said, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red. "I'll kill her when I see her!" he punched the screen of the directory. The only thing he managed to damage was his fist. Quistis gave him a 'calm down' look, and handed over a potion, which he rubbed into his knuckles.  
  
"Until Squall can talk to us, there's nothing we can do but wait." Selphie sat down on the small step that preceded the directory.  
  
"Poor, Rinoa, poor Cid. And poor Squall." She said quietly. She looked up. "Is there nothing we can do?"  
  
"Until we know what this sorceress wants, and why she needs Cid, we are at the mercy of fate."  



	24. The Cape of Good Hope

Chapter 24  
  
It took Yannie a few moments to remember where she was and whose arms she was lying in when she woke up. Gered had woken up an hour previous, and had just lay there, listening to her gentle breathing. [I]In, out, in, out…[/I] slow and rhythmic.  
  
"Hey." He whispered when she stirred from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes.  
  
"Hey." She looked at the clock. It was ten to nine. "We gotta get up."  
  
"Not yet." He took her to him and kissed her on the lips. She couldn't help but smile.   
  
"Seriously, we do." She took a band from the bedside table and loosely scrapped her jet black hair back. He followed the curve of her back with his finger. She stood up and he tried pulling her back into the bed, but she escaped his grip. She put on her underwear, and retrieved her jeans and tee shirt from the floor.   
  
"I suppose we should get a move on." Gered followed suit, and soon, both were fully dressed. Yannie was finishing packing the last of her things in her bag, when Gered came from behind and wrapped his arms around her middle. He brushed some loose strands of hair from her neck, and kissed the soft skin. She giggled. "Hey!" he stopped. "I'm trying to be romantic here."  
  
"I know." She laughed. "I'm just happy." She turned to face him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.   
  
"Why?"  
  
"Need you ask?" she kissed him. There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Room seven? You have to leave now. You will miss your boat." It was the receptionist.   
  
"Give us a minute!" shouted Gered. Reluctantly he let go of her, and she finished packing the last items. They both walked to the door, when Yannie stopped, and dropped her bag.  
  
"What is it?"   
  
"I just remembered." She ran over to the bed by the window, and untucked and ruffled up the sheets. Gered smiled. "Don't want to give SeeD a bad name do we?" She smiled. "Lets go."  
  
Gered paid up the rest of the bill at the reception. Then they made their way to the edge of the city, where they hired a car to the docks. Timber Docks were about two miles away from the city. It was seldom frequented by all but those desperately needing some form of travel to the Centra continent. Their ship was the [I]Winhill Wave[/I], an old warship from the sorceress wars for those wanting travel, in their own privacy, no questions asked. They drove the car onto the car-loading platform, and were elevated to the upper deck. Three other cars were on the deck with them. There was a EMV, that was being propped up by three Estharian soldiers who had taken off their helmets to savour the fresh sea air, a black Limousine, with shaded windows, the occupants inside unseen, and a farm truck with the words [I]Winhill Meats[/I] written in bold lettering on the side.   
  
Gered opened the door to his hired blue sports vehicle, and stepped out. Yannie followed suit. She walked over to the edge of the deck and looked over. The seawater rushed by beneath her like mist in a breeze. She took a deep breath, and smelled the salt. It had been a while since she had smelled the sea, the last time being when she was in Fisherman's Horizon, almost a year ago. A lot had happened in that year. She looked at the armlet on her arm. It reminded her of how close she was to getting answers. The answers she had craved all these years were finally to be given to her. She was filled with a cocktail of excitement, anticipation, apprehension and fear. She remembered the words of Ephret in the fire cavern. Today, she would find her purpose. And it scared her.  
  
"What you thinking?" asked Gered who was stood beside her.   
  
"Nothing."  
  
"I thought we were over this." He took her hands. "Tell me. Please."  
  
"I'm scared. All these years…Today I find out who I am."  
  
"I already know who you are." She looked at him in confusion. "You are Yannie Ocaspe. And I love you. No matter what we hear today, nothing will change that." She hugged him.  
  
"Thank you." She whispered. The ship took two hours to reach the Cape of Good Hope, where Edea's house was situated. Once off the boat, it was a short half-hour drive to reach it. He stopped the car outside, and they both got out. To Yannie, the place seemed eerily familiar. Gered sighed.  
  
"Place has changed a lot since I was last here."  
  
"You have been here?"  
  
"You kidding? I was brought up here. My parents died in the sorceress war when I was one. I ended up here. Cid took in a lot of the orphans as SeeD cadets. Meant we had a future, and there was more space at the orphanage. Most of the SeeDs at garden have a story similar to mine. Sad but true. 'Course, place had to be shut down when Matron, uh Edea began to be possessed by the other sorceress." Yannie was stunned.  
  
"I'm sorry, I had no idea."  
  
"Ah, no biggie. Lets go." He walked ahead of her. [I]Guess I'm not the only one with a past, or looking for answers.[/I] She caught up with him, and together they walked through the rusty gates.  
  
Stone pillars stood to attention on either side, no longer serving any purpose, as the roof they once held had fallen many years before. Still, they stood as a testament to the past, in the anticipation of one-day being brought back to life.  
  
" I know this…" whispered Yannie.  
  
"Huh?" she ignored his question, and walked to the left. In front of her was a spectacle of colour, contrasted by the dark storm clouds in the sky. A field of bright coloured flowers as far as the eye could see. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and it wasn't for the first time either. She knew she had been here before. They carried on to the front door of the derelict building. The door itself was hanging by its hinges, one small push, and it came crashing down onto the slate floor, sending plumes of dust spiralling upwards.  
  
They entered into a room that had half a roof, and three walls. The opposing wall had been demolished, and gave a clear view of the open sea.  
  
"Oh my…" said Yannie to no one in particular. Still with no sign of Edea, they continued into the next room. Edea was sat in am armchair. In front of her was a table, with an unopened box on it. Next to the table were two chairs.  
  
"Please, do sit down." She motioned for them to sit. They did as instructed. "Don't be alarmed, please." Yannie felt very ill at ease in her presence. As if he read her mind, Gered took her hand. She forced a smile. "I expect you shall be wanting answers. I shall tell what I can."  



	25. Stubborn Pride of a Defeated Headmaster

Chapter 25  
  
Quistis paced up and down the infirmary corridor impatiently. Eventually, Kadowaki appeared. Quistis almost pounced on the doctor.  
  
"How is he? Is he gonna be alright?"  
  
"Yes, yes, he's getting ready now. His injuries were not serious, mostly magical. Nothing a few esunas and elixirs can't fix."  
  
"Can I see him?" Kadowaki nodded and motioned toward the door. Squall was sat up in bed, hurriedly putting his boots on. Quistis hugged him, but stopped immediately, as she could sense Squall's awkwardness. "How are you?" she asked.  
  
"Never mind about me, we've got to rescue Cid."   
  
"Tell me what happened. You mentioned something about Rinoa. Does this sorceress know anything about her?" Squall laughed out loud. Quistis failed to get the joke.  
  
"You don't get it do you Quistis?" he shouted out. "This new sorceress knows all about Rinoa. She knows every intimate detail of her very being!" Quistis was stunned. This was the first time she had seen Squall act like this. "From the moment she was born till the moment she died, she knows it all."  
  
"Rinoa? Dead?" Quistis felt like someone had swung a sledgehammer at her heart.  
  
"No, well, yes, and no."  
  
"Squall, what are you talking about?" Squall continued tying his shoes.  
  
"The Rinoa we know is gone. Only the sorceress survives. Those were her words Quistis, not mine."  
  
"You mean, this sorceress, is…? No I can't believe it." another sledgehammer to Quistis's heart.   
  
"You better start, because it's true."  
  
"How do you know? Could you have not been mistaken?" Squall gave her a piercing stare.  
  
"I saw the Griever necklace. I saw it in her eyes. Its her!" Quistis almost fell into one of the chairs.   
  
"What does she want?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"She attacked us?" Quistis was stuck for words. "Why?"  
  
"I said I don't know!" Squall grabbed his Gunblade from the side of the bed, and fitted it onto his belt. "Ask her!"  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"For the last time, I don't know!"  
  
"I wonder why she wants Cid?" Quistis pondered for a moment. "You don't think…" she paused.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Remember why she got kicked out of Garden in the first place?" They shouted in unison.  
  
"Yannie!" Squall thought for a moment.  
  
"We have to find out where she is. We find her, we find Rinoa, we find Cid."  
  
******************  
  
Cid had been badly beaten. He was blindfolded, gagged, and tied to a chair. A slow trickle of blood ran from his nose, most probably broken, and his ribs ached, also, broken. Still, he held his head up high, refusing to admit defeat against the men who had done this to him.   
  
He was in a room aboard the Battle cruiser. He could sense they were moving. His heightened sense of hearing picked up the faint noise of a key in the door. The door flew open, crashing against the side of wall. Cool air rushed into the room, quickly replacing the stale air Cid had been forced to breathe.  
  
"The sorceress wants to see you." A gruff voice said. He heard footsteps, and felt movements behind him as his hands were untied. "Don't you dare try anything fishy." Said another voice. Cid tried to speak, but the duct tape around his mouth muffled his voice.  
  
"Ah, I think he wants to talk. What do you say? Shall we let him talk?" the other soldier laughed in agreement, and ripped of the duct tape quickly. Searing pain tore though his lower jaw, as it effectively removed any stubble.  
  
"Ah…" he mummered before recovering. "Well I guess I won't have to shave for a while." He had been making light of the situation since he had been forced aboard. Not only did it annoy the guards, but also it concealed his worries over the immense seriousness of current events. He also felt that by joking, could show them that he had control over the situation. They could beat him, they could torture him, but they would never break his spirit. Behind his placid façade, lay a will of steal.   
  
One soldier kicked the chair forward. Still blinded, Cid fell to the floor, and winced at the pain in his ribs.  
  
"Get up!"   
  
"Well, seeing… as you asked so…so nicely…" Cid climbed to his feet, having difficulties in breathing.  
  
"Come with us. The two soldiers grabbed his arms and pushed him forward. Blindfolded, he was forced to climb up a flight of stairs. The soldiers laughed as he fell on the last one. "This is the sorceress's chamber. You better pay her some respect!" they threw him forward, and he landed face first on the marble floor. He stood up with as much grace as he could, and untied the blindfold. Sat on a high throne was the Sorceress.   
  
"Ah, Mr Kramer. What a nice surprise."  
  
"Surprise! You ordered me aboard! You dragged me up here!" she chuckled to her self.  
  
"Hmm, quite. Anyway, I think you know the reason you are here."  
  
"If your stooges can't get it out of me, don't think you will."  
  
"What makes you so sure?" she leaned forward. "What makes you think I don't already know."  
  
"You don't know!" Cid mocked.  
  
"Oh really?" she pressed a button on the armrest. "General, set a course to the Orphanage on the Cape of Good Hope."  
  
"You bitch! You knew all along! How did you know?"  
  
"I'm a sorceress. I can read your mind." She momentarily disappeared, only to reappear seconds later behind him. "I know all about you. I know your childhood, your love for your wife, the so called fated children." She leaned right up next to his ear and whispered. "The hatred you are feeling right now, for me." She stood back. "Go on, take your best shot. I dare you. Let it go." His fist clenched. "Yes, good. Hate me." His hand relaxed. He looked her in the eyes.  
  
"I forgive you."  
  
"What!" she was stunned.  
  
"I said, you are forgiven. The attack on garden, the attack on me. I know its not you. You were a good person once. The sorceress power. It has made you into what you are." The sorceress raised her hand.  
  
"I don't need forgiveness." With one swift movement, she sent him flying across the floor. He hit the door, and fell onto the floor unconscious, passed out from the pain. "Guards!" she shouted. Two timid men came running in. "Take the prisoner away. Continue to question him." The guards dragged the body of Cid Kramer out into the hallway, and the doors closed behind.   
  
The sorceress looked at the scenery flying past below. "Forgiveness…I don't need forgiveness."   



	26. Answers

Chapter 26  
  
"I want you to hear what I have to say, but under one condition." Said Edea. Yannie's hands were shaking as she said  
  
"What condition?"  
  
"Don't worry nothing life changing. Just, please, don't interrupt me until I have told you everything I have to tell." Yannie nodded. "Very well, I shall begin." She sat back in her chair.  
  
"Since the age of five, I have, or had been a sorceress. What defines a sorceress is the hosting of the sorceress power. When humans defeated the great Hyne in ancient times, he surrendered half his power to them. This was the basis of the Sorceress Power. It is passed from person to person. When I passed my powers to Rinoa, through no will of my own I may add, she received the powers of two sorceresses, the sorceress I received my powers off when I was five, and the sorceress Ultimecia, from the future. But that is another story, and one I am sure you are well versed in.   
  
"Since my passing on of the sorceress power to Rinoa, she has received another portion of power, from the sorceress Adel. When Adel was defeated, Rinoa was the only sorceress in the immediate vicinity, and since Adel was free to die, Rinoa must have received her powers as well. This leads me to believe that Rinoa actually bears the entire half of Hyne's power and all the sorceress power in existence.  
  
"For countless generations the sorceress power has been the bain of mans existence. It gradually turns the host evil, and if you consult the history books, you will see that all of the wars of the last millennia were caused, if not intentionally by sorceresses. Many have thought this world would be a peaceful and warless place had there not been the sorceress power. I myself once consumed by the power am accountable for many deaths due to my reign of terror. And it pains me to know that. However, I was also under partial control of Ultimecia, but that is no excuse for my actions.   
  
"Knowing full well that my future was bleak, my husband Cid and I came up with the idea for SeeD. This was originally an organisation made for defeating sorceresses. I allowed its founding; knowing full well that the children I had so lovingly brought up, would one day have to fight me. However, successful as it was SeeDs only dealt with the symptoms, and not the cause. Once one sorceress was defeated, another one would rise up in her place. Once I was defeated, Rinoa rose up. But her rising was quicker than I anticipated, I shall explain why later.  
  
"While running the orphanage, and laying the foundation for garden, I happened to come by some news that interested me. A source at the Odine Labs in Esthar leaked me some information. Dr. Odine himself was working on a project that would put an end to evil once and for all. A plan to rid the world of the sorceress power. He called his creation the 'Odine Created Artificial Sorceress Power Eliminator' for short, OCASPE. This eliminator had to be organic. No mechanical device could reach the complexity desired.   
  
"The OCASPE had to wield power that would mach that shown by sorceresses. Unfortunately, such power was uncontrollable, and to counteract this, two Odine bangles were specially made. One of which you wear now. The second, I shall come to.  
  
"My initial reaction to this was joy and hope. Hope for my future and the future of the world. I managed to get myself a special invitation to Odine Labs, to see this miracle for myself. I walked in, and there you were, a tiny child, three years old. Immediately, a great hatred rose up inside me, and I was paralysed with anger. At the time, I did not know what this was, but now I realise it was the sorceress power inside me being ignited. You were a spark to petrol for me. The power was threatened. It knew that you alone could end its existence. Then, it took over my being. I hired a group of the best stealth kidnappers I could find, and sent them to bring you to me, along with any other research.  
  
"They did, and along with you, were two steel armlets. I tried to destroy them, but they were indestructible, be it by fire or force. So I hid them. Under the floorboards. Then I began on you. I didn't want to kill you. The sorceress power had a hold on me, but not so much I couldn't make some sort of a stand. So I decided to keep you locked away. Behind you, behind that wooden door is a windowless room. All of this I did behind Cid's back. To this day, he still has no idea of these events. I was ashamed of the lengths I went to, and I am ashamed of my actions. I hope you can understand I would never have done any of it, had it not been for the power. You have my deepest and heartfelt apologies.  
  
I wondered if I could turn you the other way, and have you on my side. I feared you. You could destroy me, and I didn't know how. And then one day, you disappeared, leaving nothing behind but an empty room and a hole in the wall. I sent troops searching for you, but you were no-where. It was then I became possessed by Ultimecia, and was sent on a search for another girl, Ellone, and the rest as they say is history.  
  
"That is why Rinoa tried to kill you. She is a gentle girl usually, but has a larger portion of the sorceress power than I had. This mass of power, combined with the spark of her hatred for you caused her rise as a sorceress to be much quicker. She has been completely engulfed by the power, and I fear although she has gone, that she may come back for you. I understand what she is feeling, and I know that she will let nothing stand in her way to destroy you. I don't mean to frighten you, I'm trying to be realistic. That is why I needed to speak with you right away, as the day of reckoning is close at hand.   
  
"Now, for the armlets. The first one you wear, it is a controlling device. I'm sure you found this out yourself. Without it, you have no control over the raw power concealed. With it, you are as strong as a sorceress, yet, you are pure, and not evil. I'm sure you have never tried, but, if you did, you could turn stone into water, wood into gold, bring statues to life, and everything a sorceress can do and more. You could hold the world at your mercy, and bring all men to their knees, if it was your wish. But you are good. You are the white against the blackness, and will bring about the most important event in human history.  
  
"The second armlet, I know less about. It looks and feels the same as the first one, but it has the number two on it. It is the switch if you will. It will turn on the mechanism for destroying the sorceress power. Up till now, this mechanism has lay dormant inside you; otherwise Rinoa would not have the power. I don't know how it will work, how the ridding the world of evil will take place. I think, that when you wear it, you will come to understand how you are to go about fulfilling your purpose. When you wear it. You will understand."  
  
She leaned back in the chair, her story over. She gave Yannie a few moments to let sink in what she had heard. She looked at the box on the table.  
  
"Open it." Said Edea. She removed the lid, and extracted the armlet. "I want you to know, that I am eternally sorry for my past actions, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." Yannie looked at the armlet in her hands. She looked up at Edea, who was close to tears. She gave her one last piece of advice. "The future is in your hands now."   
  



	27. The Failed Knight

Chapter 27  
  
"Lets get a move on." Said Squall, "We can not waste another minute." He opened the door to the infirmary to be greeted by three blank faces, which had been listening in to the conversation. Selphie stepped forward.  
  
"It's not true is it? Not our Rinoa?" Squall gravely nodded his head. Irvine spoke.  
  
"What do we do?"   
  
"We find out where Yannie was off to. Then we follow."  
  
"Then what?" added Zell. Squall shrugged.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"First things first," said Quistis, taking control of the situation. "Let's check Cid's diary. It might have some info for us." The door to Cid's office was unlocked, due to the suddenness of his departure.   
  
"Here's his diary." Noticed Selphie. It was lay open atop the desk, an open pen resting on one of the pages.   
  
"What's it say?" asked Zell. Selphie picked it up and read the open pages.   
  
[I]"Hmm, lets see, 'Sign papers for next years recruits, meeting with accountant… business conference… pick up suit from dry cleaners…[/I] It goes on. Nothing interesting. Nothing we need to know."  
  
"Well, it's not going to be there is it? Give it here." Irvine snatched the book away from her hands. He flipped a couple of pages back. "If it's going to be anywhere, it would be a few days ago." He looked at Selphie. "You can hack into any computer, but diaries get the better of you?" He read the pages. "Ah, this could be it. [I]'Student ID 347, meet with Ed at orp. Escorted by Student ID 176.'[/I] That's Gered's ID, 176. The other one might be her."  
  
"I think I recall her number beginning with a three." Said Selphie.   
  
"But what does that mean? [I]Meet with Ed at orp.[/I]?" asked Quistis. "I didn't know the headmaster knew an Ed. It could be…"  
  
"Edea!" shouted Zell.  
  
"Orp?" Squall though a minute. "Orp, orp, Orphanage!"   
  
"So," concluded Irvine, Yannie went with Gered to see Edea at the Orphanage. Why?"  
  
"No time for questions." Said Squall. "This is the only lead we have. We've wasted enough time already. We have to leave now. Get Xu and Nida. Someone get the ship ready. They could be way ahead of us, but I'd like to see them try to outrun the Ragnarok." Selphie almost gave her trademark 'Woohoo!' before remembering whom they were going to fight.   
  
Squall's mind was troubled. Fighting matron was one thing, like fighting your own mother. But this was Rinoa. The only person he loved. He thought back to the day when Balamb Garden first became mobile. He saw her face as she turned toward him, and her black hair blowing in the wind. She was beauty made real. And she was his. Completely and utterly his. It always seemed like a dream, how she could love someone like him. And yet she did.   
  
How on earth could he fight her? Did he have to? Those words she uttered suddenly took on a deeper more dark meaning. [I]One-day Squall's sword will pierce my heart.[/I] He never understood what she meant until now. Did she know about this? Could she see the future? Can the future be changed? Is everyone just a puppet of fate, or do we shape our own destiny? If they didn't fight, she would be unstoppable. If he did fight, he would risk loosing her forever. He didn't want to choose. He wanted to be stood with her at the flower field. Ironically though, he soon would be.   
  
*********************  
  
"Why can I remember nothing?" she asked Edea. "Surely, if all you have told me is true, I should have some memory of it?" Edea thought over this for a while.  
  
"I could be the same reason that GF cause memory loss. Your power probably has much in common with GFs. I just don't know. That is one question for Odine. As soon as he is found, I have no doubts you will want to talk to him.  
  
"So, I guess I have no parents huh?" she tried to smile. Edea sympathetically smiled back. "  
  
"I'm afraid not." Yannie was very silent for a few minutes, recalling everything she had just heard. "Would you like a drink?" Yannie immediately realised how dry her throat was. All the adrenaline had given her a thirst. She nodded her head.  
  
"Yes please, a glass of water if I could."  
  
"Gered?" he shook his head.  
  
"I'm fine thanks." She stood up to leave the room. Before leaving, she bent over Gered's shoulder and whispered in his ear.  
  
"You take good care of her. She may not be a sorceress, but she still needs a knight." She left the room.  
  
"What did she say?" asked Yannie.  
  
"Nothing." Gered took her hands. "So, how do you feel?"  
  
"A little wired. Kinda freaked out." He nodded. She paused. "I'm scared." She grabbed him and hugged him, and he held on to her tightly. He would be her knight, and he wanted to be beside her always and protect her from harm. Suddenly, the earth shook. Edea came running into the room.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I don't know." Gered looked through the window, and saw in the distance; a large war cruiser had landed some way off.   
  
"I don't like this." He said. There was going to be trouble, and he had to save Yannie. She was all that mattered.  
  
**************  
  
The jolt awoke Cid. He ached more than before, and had a struggle to stay awake through the pain. He was lay down this time, in the same cell, but at least not tied to the chair. It was pitch black, and there was no difference when he opened his eyes to when he closed them. However, he did his best to keep them open, for he feared falling unconscious again if he didn't. He tried to stand, but fell back down again. There was a new pain, this time in his leg. He felt down with his hand, and felt something sharp. The shattered shinbone was poking through the skin, and even to touch it made his eyes swell up. The tears stung his face, and as his hand touched his cheek, he felt it was wet. He felt all over, and found a large gash running from his right ear, down to his chin. In his heart, he knew he would die soon if he didn't receive medical attention. His blood began to boil and he felt a great hatred for whoever had done this to him.  
  
Up on deck, the sorceress was pleased with the rate of the operation.   
  
"We have landed your highness." Said General Caraway. "What is the plan now?"  
  
"Now, we travel to the orphanage, and we…I, shall put an end to this nonsense once and for all." She laughed.  
  
"You personally?"  
  
"Of course me!" she said appalled. "Who else could destroy the greatest threat to my kind we have ever face? I shall go down in history as the greatest sorceress ever!"  
  
"Yes your highness."  
  
"How long till we reach the orphanage?"  
  
"About fifteen minutes."  
  
"Excellent."  
  
**************************  
  
In the cockpit of the Ragnarok, Nida had his foot to the floor. The spaceship sped along at breakneck speed, and within ten minutes had covered almost half the distance. Squall stood to the door of the cockpit, and asked.  
  
"How long Nida?"   
  
"'Bout fifteen minutes." Xu nodded in agreement.  
  
"Ok, You keep on flying, Xu, come with me." She followed Squall into the main room of the Ragnarok. Everyone was assembled there.  
  
"Have we got a plan yet?" asked Quistis.  
  
"Because of the incredibly last minuteness of our departure, it will only be us. I didn't have time to bring aboard any other SeeDs apart from Xu and Nida. So, the rough plan is thus. Quistis, Zell, Irvine and Selphie come with me," he paused before reluctantly saying "we fight the sorceress."  
  
"No!"  
  
"We can't fight Rinoa!"  
  
"No way! I wont do it man!"  
  
"How could you?"  
  
"What, you don't think this was a hard decision for me?" Squall asked. "If there was another way, I would, but SeeD is for fighting sorceresses."  
  
"But it's Rinoa." Squall sighed.  
  
"I know, that is why, we only attack if she attacks us. And then don't aim to kill." He wiped his brow. "Inside there somewhere, is my…our old Rinoa, and maybe the only way to get it back is to fight her. Make her see how futile it is. Bring her back." [I]Hyne forgive me…[/I]   
  
"What about me and Nida?" asked Xu  
  
"You go aboard and find the headmaster."  
  
"Sir!" she saluted. "I'll inform Nida of our mission right away." She exited into the cockpit.  
  
"We're almost there." He said. "I remember how we had to fight matron, and how hard that was. Well, this will be a hundred times worse. Just try to focus."  
  
"This is BS man. Total BULLSHIT!" shouted Zell.  
  
"I know this sucks." Says Quistis, "But try to calm down. It might not even come to that. We might not have to fight her." With a bump, they landed on the Centra continent, and were moments away from Edea's house.   
  
********************  
  
In the crumbling ruins of the orphanage, the three had done their best to secure themselves inside. Chairs held back doors for what little good it would do, and they had tried to board up the windows. The ominous black and red shape of the war-cruiser drew ever closer. Yannie began panicking.  
  
"She's here for me! I know it!" Gered took her hand.  
  
"I won't let her get you. I promise." He kissed her. The hum of the motors drew nearer, until it was almost deafening. All they could do was wait.   
  
Everything was quiet and still. The humming stopped, and all that could be heard was the breeze. Then with a thud, the front door fell down, being propped up with nothing but a chair. Gered immediately ran out the front door, and was greeted by three Elite Soldiers. He tapped his feet on the floor twice and the spikes shout out from his custom built shoes. He spin kicked the first soldier, creating a gaping wound on his chest, and flying side kicked the other, catching him in the throat. The third he caught in the back of the leg, and he was sent reeling. Then he saw the ominous figure of the sorceress descend from the ship. Edea ran outside through the side exit, Yannie tried to follow, but Edea pushed her inside.  
  
"Stay here. If she wants to kill you, stay away from her."  
  
"But you said I was powerful as a sorceress!"  
  
"It's not worth the risk! You are too important to risk your life." She was forcefully shoved inside and the door bolted. Gered was relived to see Edea.   
  
"Can you fight?" he asked.  
  
"You kidding? I used to be a sorceress remember!" the sorceress floated across the distance between them. It was at this point that they heard a familiar hope filled sound.   
  
The Ragnarok had landed.  
  
From its lower door descended the seven SeeDs. Two of them ran towards the battle cruiser. The other five ran toward them.   
  
"Man am I glad to see you guys!" shouted Gered. Squall nodded.   
  
"Only attack if she attacks you. Do not hit to kill!" he commanded. "It might shock you but the sorceress is actually…"  
  
"…Rinoa? We know." The sorceress got closer.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Never mind about that. Lets get this over with."  
  
The sorceress arrived, and planted both feet on the ground.  
  
"SeeD I assume." Squall stepped forward.   
  
"Rinoa, I'm begging you…"  
  
"Who is Rinoa? I know no Rinoa."  
  
"Please." He begged "don't make us fight you…"  
  
"Why not?" with one swoop of her hand, she sent Irvine flying in a cloud of flame. He landed unconscious. "It's fun." Gered went to attack with his feet, but she sent him reeling too. He got up and brushed himself down he tired again, and once again was sent reeling.  
  
"Rinoa. Try to remember. Look back on your past. Your loved ones. The times we spent together."  
  
"Time, it waits for no one. It always escapes you."  
  
"I know this isn't you. But you are in there somewhere. Show yourself." Another ball of flame, and she attacked Quistis. She too, lay unconscious on the ground. Squall realised the sad truth. The Rinoa he loved was dead. Only the sorceress remains. He knelt down on one knee, and held his Gunblade by the handle point down in the earth. He bowed his head, and said, "Forgive me." He stood up, and ripped the sword from the soil, and went for the attack.  
  
*****************  
  
Aboard the ship, Xu and Nida faced tough opposition from the Galbadians, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle. After a brief interrogation of a soldier at magic-point, he let slip Cid's location.   
  
Nida took care of any passing Galbadians while Xu swung the door of his cell wide open. She saw the bloody mess of his crumpled body, and winced at the sight of his broken leg.   
  
"Nida…" she said. He looked inside and saw him.  
  
"Dear Hyne above. Is he dead?" Xu gulped.  
  
"I don't know. I'll go check." She walked inside, and knelt down next to his cold body, and took his pulse. It was faint, but still there. She looked up and nodded.  
  
"Can you use a cure spell on him?" Nida said as he walked in. Xu shook her head.  
  
"Magic only works on other magic users. Cid never used magic in his entire life."  
  
"What about potions?"  
  
"I'll try, but I don't know." From her pelt she pulled three small capsules. One by one she snapped them and poured it into his mouth. A bit of colour returned to his cheeks, and his eyes slowly opened. The glare of the light was too bright and he tried to turn away.   
  
"Who is it?" He said in a voice barley audible.  
  
"It's Xu and Nida sir. We have come to rescue you." Said Xu  
  
"Don't try to speak sir. We will get you out." That was when Cid lost consciousness again.  
  
********************  
  
The sorceress had effectively dealt with all but two of her opponents. Apart from Gered and Squall, all were unconscious or barley-conscious on the ground. Squall walked towards her, managing to dodge any attacks. She backed away, slowly.  
  
"Where is she?" she bellowed at Gered.  
  
"I'll die before I tell you!"  
  
"As you wish." She hit him with a bolt of lightening, and he went flying. "Just you and me now." She said to Squall. They were now stood before the flower field. [I]How ironic[/I] he thought to himself.   
  
"Try to remember me!"  
  
"Oh I remember you all right. 'I'll be waiting here, so if you come here, you will find me. I promise.' LIER!" she cast a pure energy spell, which he managed to narrowly avoid. Squall cast aura on himself, and prepared himself to begrudgingly save the world.  
  
************  
  
Inside the orphanage, Yannie nervously sat under the window out of sight. She bit her nails, wondering what to do. Should she stay here, and keep safe? She snook a glance out the window, to see Gered get hit by lightening. She winced. If I stay here, they will get defeated, and they will come for me anyway. So I might as well die fighting. She was about to exit, when she remembered the second bangle. She picked it up from the floor, and lightly blew the dust off it. She took a deep breath, and put it on her arm.  
  
Immediately it locked shut. She felt power surge through her body, wave after wave of energy. Her fingertips shone with light. This light spread beyond her hands and engulfed her whole body. She shimmered with gold. It was then, that she fully understood her purpose in life, and what she had to do.  
  
*************  
  
Squall was stuck in a stare with the sorceress. [I]Why me. I don't want to fight![/I] he kept saying over and over in his head. He was about to perform Renzokuken and she a devastating magical attack, when she stopped, and looked behind Squall. He too turned and saw what she was looking at.  
  
Out of the orphanage came Yannie, glowing with light. She held her arms out sideways, and as she walk apt the fallen bodies, they too became filled with light and warmth, and one by one stood up amazed to be alive. Calmly, she walked up to the sorceress. Squall took a few paces back through no will off his own. Everyone else was transfixed and paralysed to the spot. Even the sorceress could not move. And she walked up to her; the light seemed to take over the sorceress as well. Yannie held her hands forward in front of her face. The sorceress copied, as if mirrors image. Their hands became closer together, the light got brighter. The hands met, and the fingers intertwined. The light was so bight that everyone had to cover his or her eyes. Then there was a series of short flashes, and a great wind built up. The ground shook, and the shy turned grey. It was just like how Squall had been attacked in FH all those moths ago. Lightening flew down from the sky, and lifted the two women up of their feet. Electricity encircled both their bodies. Then, it suddenly stopped. Both women fell to the ground, no longer connected. Everyone was free to move.   
  
Gered ran over to Yannie, who was lay flat on the ground. He held her in his arms, and whispered, "Yann, Yann, please wake up. Come on, don't leave me."  
  
Squall stumbled over to Rinoa who was also lay on the ground. He knelt down, and stroked his fingers though her hair. Tears formed in his eyes. So, this is how it ends? She was different now. She didn't give off a feel of evil. He lifted her up to him, and he whispered something in her ear. The others were gathered round now. He lay her back on the ground, and held on to her hand. To his surprise, she held his back.   
  
"Rinoa…?"  
  
"Squall?" she looked around, and saw Yannie on the ground. "Is she dead?" she sat up.   
  
"I don't know, but your not." He hugged her. Dazed and confused, she tried to remember what had just happened.  
  
"Oh no! What have I done!" she said, still in a state of shock. Gered was still holding the cold lifeless body of Yannie in his arms, gently rocking her back and forth. Quistis put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Lets go."  
  
"I cant leave her." He sniffed.  
  
"Ged…She's gone."  
  
"No…NO…NO!" he let out a scream of anguish and pain. He had failed as a knight.  
  



	28. Hope for the Future

Chapter 28  
  
Her funeral was a private affair, attended by only those who witnessed the events at the orphanage. They decided to bury her just outside garden. It was atop a small plateau, and on a clear day one could see for miles. Today was one of those days, and the sun shone brightly, warming the faces of the eight Seeds, one ex-sorceress, and a headmaster in a wheelchair. Rinoa did not attend.   
  
Everyone was dressed in black. After a short service, there was the opportunity for everyone to say a few words if they wished. Edea wheeled Cid forward. His leg was encased in plaster, and his head was bandaged. His right arm was in a sling, he two black eyes, and stitches along the gash in his face. Kadowaki had reluctantly let him out of the infirmary, under the condition he came back as soon as the service was over. His face had taken on a sickly white colour, and his eyes were dark and weary. In his good hand, he held a single white flower.   
  
"I think I speak for all of us, when I express my sadness for your sudden departure from this world. I have no doubt that you would have gone on to be the best student at this academy, had it not been for these unexpected events. I for one will be sad to no longer see your face happy along the hallways. We can only take consolation from the fact that your death was not in vain." He tossed the white flower into the grave, and it landed with a gentle patter on top of the coffin that resonated throughout the grave. "Goodbye." He managed to say, before his words were choked with tears. Each in turn, the rest of the assembled threw their white flowers onto the coffin, some muttering some silent words only to be heard by themselves, god, and Yannie. Squall's chosen words were short and to the point. [I]Thank you for giving me back Rinoa.[/I]  
  
Gered was last to come. He knelt down next to the six-foot deep hole, not bothering about dirtying up his trousers. His flower was an Alcauld rose. He muttered some words, inaudible from the rest. [I]I will think of you everyday. I'm sorry I was not a better knight. I let you down, and I will spend the rest of my days trying to make it up for you.[/I] he gently let the rose fall onto the coffin. [I]I feel privileged to have known you, and to have seen your most beautiful colour.[/I] it was then, he broke down into tears. Selphie put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Gradually, the group dispersed, and the sky clouded over. Gered was the last to leave, and only then because it started to rain heavily. Reluctantly, he stood up, and left and the two remaining gravediggers went about the dismal task of filling in the hole.  
  
*************************  
  
Back at Garden, Rinoa was lay on the bed in her dorm. The rain pattered on the window echoing through the silent room. She stared up at the ceiling tiles, deep in thought. Her memory was sketchy, and she tried hard to recall her actions in the last year or so. She stood and walked over to the sink, looked in the mirror, and examined her face in detail. The veins on her face had gone, but the black and red tattoos were still there. Her hair was grey, as if the sorceress power had drained all the pigment from it. However there was some hope. Her roots of her hair were growing out black, and it would just take time for her hair to return to normal.   
  
[I]Come on, try to remember…[/I] Maybe I don't want to remember. No one wants to tell me what I did. What did I do? I remember being angry and scared at the same time. I tried to kill Yannie? Me? Hmmm, what else did I do? Then suddenly, the floodgates opened, and out flowed all the memories of the year. Controlling the armies. Her reign of terror. The shooting of innocent civilians in the name of discipline. The deaths of thousands in her name. She was responsible for it all. Her legs went week, and she felt nauseous. [I]No![/I] She fell on the bed. [I]No…[/I]  
  
*********************  
  
Squall was in the cafeteria, debating whether or not he should go and see Rinoa. She might not want to see him. Was he sure he wanted to see her? It was hard to accept that the Rinoa that almost caused a war was the same Rinoa that was in her dorm now. However, it was as if there were two Rinoas. There was the kind forest owl princess, and there was the evil sorceress. But the latter part of her was dead, and only the former remained. She might not even remember what she did. I hope she doesn't remember what she did.   
  
"Sir." Said a young SeeD. Squall had taken over the running of Garden until Cid was back on his feet, which could take a long time. "There's an urgent phone call for you."  
  
"Who from?"  
  
"A man from Esthar. Calls himself Captain Verson. Says he has found him."   
  
"Verson?" [I]Of course! The captain of the Esthar squad I sent to look for Odine.[/I] "Yes. I'll come now." Squall got up from the table and almost ran to the office. He picked up the phone, and said,  
  
"You found him?" the voice on the other end of the line answered.  
  
"Yes sir. We found him He was hiding out at his old labs on the Esthar continent. He was reluctant to surrender, and demanded to know about Yannie. He had barricaded himself inside, so we told him what we knew. When we told him of her death, he came forward no problem." he paused a moment. "What are your orders now?" Squall thought for a moment.  
  
"Bring him to me. Bring him here to Balamb Garden. I need to talk with him urgently."  
  
"Yes sir. Expect us in a hour." Squall was about to hang up when he said,  
  
"Good work captain. Thank you."  
  
"It is an honour to work for SeeD sir." He hung up the phone. This was the best news he had heard in a while. He was the missing piece to the puzzle. Edea had told him everything she had told Yannie, which was everything she knew. Unfortunately, no one could explain the strange events that preceded her death.  
  
Verson was true to his word. He arrived an hour later, almost to the minute. He escorted Odine to the front gates, where they were greeted by Squall.   
  
"Ah, Odine, at last."  
  
"There vas no need for ze handcuffs. I have no vish to vander avay." Squall looked up at Verson, and nodded. Verson unlocked the cuffs, and Odine flexed his wrists.  
  
"Thank you for bringing him to us. If you would like to wait, I shall settle the payment after…"  
  
"Oh, no. No payment."  
  
"But…"  
  
"President Loire ordered us. He is paying us. A gift if you will, to Garden."  
  
"Laguna…I mean President Loire?"  
  
"Yes. He said you helped him out in the past. This is his way of saying thank you."  
  
"No, thank you. If you would like to wait anyway, unless you have any other duties?"  
  
"Oh no, I wouldn't mind waiting. I've always wanted to see inside a Garden." Squall nodded. He grabbed hold of a junior classman running by.   
  
"What have I told you about running?"  
  
"Sorry sir." The boy replied.  
  
"You can show our guest around."  
  
"But…but…" he protested.  
  
"Call it a punishment for running. Now show Captain Verson here Garden." Verson smiled, and was lead away by the boy, grumbling.   
  
"Vat now?" asked Odine, his short height forcing him to look up at Squall.  
"Follow me." Squall escorted Odine to Cid's office. Some of the students recognised him, and there were many whispers of [I]"Isn't that Odine?"[/I] Odine ignored these, and followed Squall. Inside the office, Squall beckoned him to sit down. He made himself at home in a high-backed leather chair.  
"Now then. Where shall we start? "  
  
  
"I suppose I better tell you all about ze Ocaspe project?"  
  
"We know all about that. What I want to know, is why Yannie died."  
  
"How did she die?" asked Odine. Squall described all about the blinding light, and the lightening that preceded her demise.  
  
"Very interesting." Said Odine to himself. "I did not anticipate such a spectacle." He removed his glasses and began to clean them on his robe. "I just vish I could have been there to vitness it."  
  
"Just get to the point. What happened?"  
  
"If you are vell versed in ze doings of the Ocaspe Project, you understand its aims." Squall nodded.  
  
"To rid the world of the Sorceress Power."  
  
"Yes." He replaced his glasses onto his nose. "As you know, ze sorceress power can not die. When a host dies, it finds another one. The vay the Ocaspe verks is such. She creates an end point. She took on into herself ze entire sorceress power in existence today. And then she served her purpose by dying."  
  
"How does her dying justify as a purpose?"  
  
"When she died, ze sorceress power, it dies vith her. If she did not die, it would find another host. I vill not go into the scientific methodology of it, but just trust me ven I tell you, all vent to ze plan."  
  
"You evil son of a bitch. You created her to die."  
  
"Try to understand, it is ze only way!"  
  
"But this is playing god!"  
  
"I say it iz a small price to pay for peace." Squall thought. Was it right to justify the killing of a person to save the world from evil? "And remember, Hyne started ze war. He doomed us to live as slaves under the command of his sorceresses. His servants, if you will."  
  
"Just get out."  
  
"I am free to go?"  
  
"I hope you are happy. You shall have no more research now the sorceress power is gone. You are no longer a danger. Go!" He left. He pressed a button on the intercom. "Captain Verson, please come to The third floor headmaster's office immediately please. Within minutes there was a knock at the door. "Come in."  
  
"Is everything alright? Where is the prisoner?"  
  
"He is gone. I let him go. He is no longer a threat." He sighed. It was a lot to take in. "It is debatable to whether his work was ethical or not, but he wasn't a criminal. Anyway, the reason I called you here was to say that you are free to go. We will no longer need your assistance."  
  
"As I said before Sir," he saluted "it is a pleasure to work for SeeD." Squall saluted back.  
  
"Anytime you need our help, just make the call and we will assist."  
  
"I'm afraid we wont." Said a voice from the door. It was Cid, he was hobbling in on crutches, and Edea stood beside him, helping him keep balance.   
  
"Sir!" Squall saluted. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Squall, SeeD was founded to fight sorceresses. Without sorceresses, we serve no function." He sighed. "Besides, I'm an old man. I'm too old to fight wars."  
  
"I could take over in your place."  
  
"Look into your heart son," he said staggering forward, "I think you will find you are tired of the fighting as well." He knew he was right. For a while know he had gown weary of battles. I longed for a peaceful life. Squall nodded.  
  
"Sir!" saluted Verson. "If I have your permission, I will leave." Cid Bowed his head and the captain made his exit.   
  
"But what will happen to Garden?" Edea answered.  
  
"The orphanage is beyond repair, and no longer fit to house children. I shall take over Garden's running, and found the Balamb home for Children."  
  
"What about the students?"  
  
"I have secured a place for every student if they want it."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Numerous places. Some as monster patrollers in towns and villages, there are spaces open in the Esthar Army, and other non-combat places, such as real jobs in FH, and Timber. Good jobs." This news shocked Squall. Garden had been his home as long as he could remember. But Cid spoke sense. There would be no need for it anymore.  
  
"What of the other Gardens? Galbadia, and Trabia?"   
  
"That is up to the leaders of those Gardens." Cid gently eased himself into one of the chairs. "I suppose you are wondering what you are to do?" Squall looked up and nodded his head. "Well, there is a job that would be perfect for you. Town Guard in a small village on the Galbadia Continent. It involves basically keeping monsters out, as they have started creeping back in again. I think you might know it. Winhill?"  
  
"Winhill?"  
  
"Yes. They will provide accommodation, and the pay isn't bad. But, it is for two people." Cid leaned back in his chair. "Who you take is entirely up to you, but I think you have already made up your mind." Squall looked down. "Go. Go talk to her. If there ever was a time she needed you it was now." Cid looked up at Edea, who lovingly looked back at him. "Remember, it wasn't her who did those terrible things. Forgive her, and try to get her to forgive herself." Squall stood up, and saluted. He exited the room.  
  
***************  
  
Outside on the plateau, a figure was crouched over a freshly dug grave. The headstone read [I]"Yannie Ocaspe. Died so that we all may live in peace. Age 18"[/I] The figure placed a bunch of flowers on the mound of earth. The rain had ceased, and the sun was setting. Through the black clouds, the sky was pinkish red. They wiped away a tear from their eye, and mumbled a few words.  
  
A shadow loomed closer and closer on the East Side of the plateau. This shadow turned in to a man, walking slowly toward the figure, unknown to them. Tears fell from their eyes. The man came closer, and the crouched person saw their shadow on the grave and looked up. The man spoke.   
  
"Rinoa…"  
  
"Squall? I thought…" he knelt down beside her, and took her hands.  
  
"Its not your fault." She shook her head.  
  
"It is my fault. Not just her. Thousands died because I ordered it! I am evil."   
  
"Are you sorry?" she nodded. "Then you are not evil."  
  
"But…"  
  
"No buts. Come with me. Let's star a new life together. Away from here. Just the two of us."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked wiping her eyes.   
  
"You, and me. Move to Winhill. No more fighting. Just the odd monster." She meekly smiled.  
  
"Why don't you hate me?"  
  
"Because I know you, and I love you more than anything. And I want you to come to Winhill   
with me."  
  
"What about Garden?"  
  
"Cid's shutting it down. No sorceresses. There is nothing to stop us. Lets go."  
  
"Oh Squall!" she threw her arms around him. "How could I ever try to kill you?" Squall remembered Cid's words. [I]Teach her to forgive herself…[/I]  
  
"No more talk. Just spend the rest of your life with me  



	29. Reunion

Chapter 29  
  
In Winhill, it was early morning. Five thirty to be precise. In a large house west of the Village Square, a little girl awoke in her bed. The excitement was unbearable. She had to go wake up mommy and daddy. The four-year-old slipped out of bed and tiptoed to her parent's room. She opened the door as quietly as possible and snook inside. Daddy was lay on the left side of the bed like he always did. His arm was around mommy's waist. The girl pattered across the floor to her mummy's side.   
  
"Mommy." She whispered. She stirred in her sleep. The girl lightly shook her shoulder. "Mommmmmmyyyy?" Slowly, her eyes opened.   
  
"What is it love?" she said groggily, definitely not a morning person. "Go back to sleep honey."  
  
"Mommy, you got to wake up. You'll be late, and then you will be sorry." The disgruntled woman threw the covers over her head, on the off chance her daughter would get the hint. Unperturbed, she walked around to daddy's side of the bed.  
  
"Daddy? We're going to miss it."  
  
"Do what your mother said and go to bed."  
  
"But Daaaaaaaaaaaad?" he sat up in bed, leaning on one hand and rubbed his eyes.   
  
"What time is it?" he looked over at the digital alarm clock glowing green in the darkness. "Five thirty?" he arched his back, stretched out his arms and yawned. [I]Got to be up in half an hour anyway[/I] he thought. He got out of bed, and picked up the little girl.   
  
"Yay!" he put a finger to her lips.   
  
"Shhhhh. Let mommy get some sleep." He carried the girl out of the bedroom, and downstairs. He sat her at her special booster seat at the table, and went about preparing breakfast. He placed a bowl of mushy cereal in front of the girl, and she started eating quickly. "Hey, slow down. We wont leave any sooner if you eat faster." He warned. She giggled and slowed down.  
  
He popped some toast in the toaster, and poured some orange juice in a glass. He took a swollen grapefruit from the fruit bowl, cut it in half, and put one half into a bowl. The toaster popped, and he extracted the two golden pieces and buttered them. He took a tray from the top shelf, and put the orange juice, toast and grapefruit onto the tray. He carried the tray upstairs and into their bedroom, leaving the child happily munching on her cereal.   
  
"Wake up." He whispered as he placed the tray on the bedside table.  
  
"Go back to bed like a good girl." She mumbled under the sheets.  
  
"Shame I'm not a girl." He said, sitting sown on the bed, making the springs creak.  
  
"What?" she sat up confused. "Oh, its you. Not time to go already is it?"  
  
"Not quite. Made you B in B"  
  
"Oh, breakfast in bed? You shouldn't have." She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek.  
  
"Well, your daughter woke me up early, so I thought, 'Hey, why not treat the woman I love?'"  
  
"She's your daughter too you know?" she giggled.  
  
"No no no." he replied smiling. "When she wakes me up at the crack of dawn, she is your daughter." He said tapping his finger on the end of her nose. "Eat up. We got to leave at half past."  
  
"Squall?" she said.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Its ok Rinny. Just don't expect this every morning." He joked.  
  
After they had all breakfasted, Squall helped his daughter get ready, making sure she brushed all of her teeth and washed behind her ears. Rinoa got ready in the bedroom. She decided to wear a pink and white flowery dress, and her sandals. The invitation said smart-casual, and she thought it would best suit the unexpected summer heat wave they were experiencing. Specially trained doctors in Esthar had removed the red and black tattoos that ran like lightening across her cheeks years ago by lasers. Her hair had returned to its usual black, and she had put in the gold highlights herself.   
  
Reluctantly, she picked up the wristbands from the dresser. She looked at her wrists, and the white scars that ran across them. How could she have been so stupid? No matter how low you get; suicide is still the chicken's way out. It scared her to think of the life that she could have been missing had Squall not found her in time. She tried to shrug away the image of Squall's white face, as she lay bleeding to death on the kitchen floor. It was one year after the Yannie incident she tried to take her own life. No longer being able to cope with the guilt, she felt this was her only way out. But that was six years ago, and all behind her. She had a new life now. She had a family.   
  
"Mommy, Daddy says to hurry up, or we will be late."  
  
"Come here." She said to her. The little girl walked up to her mother, and she picked her up. "Give me a hug." The little girl obliged and hugged as hard as she could. Rinoa pretended to be in pain. "Oh no! You're hurting me! Stop it stop it!" Squall heard the commotion upstairs, and came bursting into the room.  
  
"What's the matter? Is everything ok?" Rinoa burst out laughing.   
  
"Daddy, you so silly. I was giving mommy a hug." Rinoa put her on the ground.  
  
"Oh yeah?" said Squall mockingly. "I thought I heard a MONSTER!" he charged towards the girl, and chased her around the room making growling noises. The child laughed and jumped on the bed. She held out her hand and shouted,  
  
"Cast fire!" Squall pretended to be hit by a ball of fire, and clutched his chest.  
  
"Oh no!" he knelt on the floor. "You got me. Is this the end?" Rinoa burst out laughing.   
  
"I thought you said we had to hurry to catch the train?" Squall stood up, snapped out of wounded monster mode, and looked at his watch.  
  
"Oh yeah." He said. "Come on, let's go."   
  
"Yay!" shouted the girl, and ran down toward the front door. Squall looked at Rinoa in her pink dress.  
  
"You look fabulous." She walked towards him and started adjusting the top button of his shirt. He wore a blue shirt, and black trousers.  
  
"You know what. You don't look too bad yourself." He pulled her to him and kissed her. "Rinoa Leonheart, I love you." She laughed.  
  
"I remember a time when I had to ask you to say that. And then you would stutter."  
  
"That was the old me." He paused. "Seriously, we are going to be so late. Lets get a move on." At the door, the girl was jumping up and down excitedly. She wore a bright yellow dress with pink open toed sandals. She had her father's black hair and looks, and her mother's stubborn streak. "Daddy, is Auntie Ellone going to be there?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Are we taking her there in our car?"  
  
"No, she making her own way there."  
  
"But she only lives next door."  
  
"Yes, but she is getting there later. Don't worry, she will be there." She sighed. "Come on Yannie, get into the car. We've got a train to catch."   
  
********************  
  
On the train, little Yannie was avidly looking out the window. Rinoa was teaching her the train song that Selphie had taught her.  
  
[I]"Train train, Take us away."[/I]   
  
"I wonder why Cid called this reunion?" said Squall, his nose in a weapon magazine. Though there was no need for fighting anymore, weaponry was still a profitable business, most buyers being collectors. Rinoa shrugged.  
  
"Maybe he just wants to see us all again. I mean, it has been seven years since we all met up. A lot has happened." For the year following the Garden break up, everyone did his or her best to keep in touch. But one by one, they lost contact. Each had their own lives to lead, and had to concentrate on the future, rather than the past.   
  
"Mommy, are we going to meet them all?"  
  
"Yes, all of them will be there."  
  
"I remember you talking about Kwisteese, and Zell, and Selfy and Urvine and Zu and Nida."  
  
"Don forget Cid. And Edea. Or Gered." She dwelt on the word Gered. "Squall, do you think he will be there?"  
  
"I don't know. He might be."  
  
"Do you think he is still mad?"  
  
"He's had seven years to see you were not in the blame. I think he should have realised that by now."   
  
"I hope so."  
  
"What did you do mommy?" asked Yannie.  
  
"Nothing you need to worry about. Let's sing that song again."  
  
***************  
  
The train pulled into to Balamb at eleven o'clock. Rinoa got off first, followed by Squall who held the sleeping Yannie in his arms.  
  
"My god. This place hasn't changed a bit." Rinoa nodded in agreement. "I wonder if Zell is still here?" Yannie rubbed her eyes.  
  
"Are we there Daddy?"  
  
"Nearly." They walked through the streets of Balamb. There were many ex-students in the streets all turned up for the reunion. Squall recognised many of the faces. Some he had fought alongside. Everyone remembered him, and he stopped to talk to a few people. Had he not stopped, his journey to Garden would have taken half the time. Eventually, at ten to twelve, ten minutes before they were due to arrive; they entered through the gates of Garden. Rinoa now held Yannie, and Squall walked ahead. He stood in wonderment at the place. Something caught his eye.   
  
"That's new." He pointed to a statue. It was of a young woman, arms outstretched. At her feet where flowers, and she had a serene look upon her face. They didn't need to read the plaque to know whom it was.   
  
"Look Yannie." Said Rinoa. "That lady was who you were named after." Yannie thought for a minute.  
  
"I'm not going to turn to stone too am I?" they both laughed, and Yannie failed to get the joke.  
  
"RINOAAAAAA!" they heard a screech from behind. Rinoa turned to see Selphie running towards her at breakneck speed. She put Yannie down on the ground, and the two women hugged each other.  
  
"Selphie! Oh my god. It's been so long!" Selphie stood back, and held Rinoa at arms length, looking her up and down. She thought she looked older, but none the less beautiful. Rinoa thought that Selphie had changed a lot. She had lost the flicked out hair, and now wore it in a ponytail. She was wearing a red knee length corduroy dress, with black leather boots.  
  
"Squall! I almost missed you."  
  
"Great to see you Selphie." To her surprise, he hugged her.   
  
"Woah!" she looked him up and down examining him. "Ok Rinoa, what have you done with the real Squall?"  
  
"Hey, being a dad softens you up a bit." He said in his defence.  
  
"Dad? Squall? Our Squall? A dad?" he nodded. It was then for the first time she noticed the small child at her feet. She knelt down and looked at her at her own height. "And what is your name?"  
  
"I'm Yannie. Are you Selfy?" she nodded.   
  
"Please to meet you." She held out her hand, and she shook it.  
  
"Mommy taught me your train song."  
  
"Did she?" she looked up at Rinoa and smiled. "I suppose mommy and daddy told you all about the others?" she nodded. "Then lets see if you can guess who I brought along." She stood up and shouted. "Hey! Over here." A tall man in a cowboy hat and a beige trench coat sauntered over.  
  
"Squall! Rinoa!" she shouted. Rinoa hugged him and Squall shook his hand. "Great to see you." He looked down and saw the young child. "Who is this?"  
  
"Your Urvine." She said.  
  
"Sure am. And you are?"  
  
"I'm Yannie." Irvine looked up.   
  
"Yannie?" Rinoa nodded  
  
"Yannie Raine Leonheart." She confirmed. Her eyes were full of tears at seeing her two friends again after so many years.   
  
"That is a pretty neat name." Said Irvine.  
  
"Mommy and daddy named me after a statue." The group laughed. "Can I try your hat on Mister Urvine please?" she asked.  
  
"Yannie!" reprimanded Rinoa. "Don't be so rude."  
  
"Hey, its fine." He took of his hat, and put it on her head. Everyone except Selphie gasped. Instead of the long ponytail, there was a short spiky do. He stood up. "You like it? Blame Selphie. She made me have it cut."  
  
"Are you two a couple?" asked Squall. Irvine put his arm around Selphie's waist and nodded. There were more screams of excitement and hugs all round.  
  
"How long?" asked Rinoa.  
  
"Oh, only about a year. We happened to bump into each other in Trabia, and well, we got chatting, and we both admitted we fancied each other like mad, and well, one thing led to another and…" she held out her left hand. On the ring finger was a diamond solitaire encased in silver.  
  
"Well, I would never believe it." said Squall. "Our Irvine, getting married. Congratulations, both of you."   
  
"Woah!" Irvine stood back. "This ain't Squall is it? The same Squall who told many people on numerous occasions to talk to a wall?" Squall smiled. "Now he is smiling? Whatever next?"  
  
"Shut up." He laughed. Irvine turned serious for a moment.  
  
"Squall, I am so sorry to hear about your dad."  
  
"Yeah," Selphie added, "We were all devastated to hear of his death. Did they ever catch the assassin?" Squall shook his head.  
  
"No. But thanks for your sympathy. It means a lot." He paused and looked down. "It was a year ago. But I'm fine." Rinoa took his hand.  
  
"Remember me?" said a voice behind the others. They turned to see a tall blonde woman walking toward them. She wore a short white tennis dress, and pumps. Her hair was sill blonde, but was cut into a chin length bob.  
  
"Quistis?"  
  
"Rinoa? Selphie? Squall? Irvine! Your hair!"  
  
"I know." He laughed running his fingers through it.  
  
"We have so much to catch up on."  
  
"Hey guys!" they heard a 'vrooom' and a familiar figure pulled up on his hovering board. The group shouted.  
  
"Zell!" Yannie pulled at her dad's trousers, and he lifted her up, so she could see.  
  
"Typical." Said Irvine. "You live the closest, but you are the last to arrive." He laughed and jumped of the board. He slammed his foot down on the one end and caught it in his hand.   
  
"Yo people! S'up?" there were more hugs and handshakes. "Yo Irve? What's with the manly cut?"  
"Hey you can talk!" he said looking at Zell's hair. It was still the same style, but had been dyed a bright blue. Zell wore a pair of baggy jeans, and a baggy white tee shirt. "Ands what's with the cloths? You did read the invitation?"  
  
"Hey, these are the smartest clothes I got." After more chit-chat, and "Oh my God! Squall is a dad!" Rinoa said,   
  
"Come on, let's go inside I'm dying to see Garden again." Garden still looked pretty much the same from the outside, and inside the corridors were the same as they had left them. They made their way inside, and were greeted by Xu. Quistis came running over to her.  
  
"Xu! Its been too long." The women hugged. "So what are you doing here before us?"  
  
"You kidding? I work here!"  
  
"No way!" she nodded her head.  
  
"Yup, I took a job in Deling, but it didn't suit me. So I came back here. They were more than happy to have me back. Let me give you the guided tour." She motioned for the others to follow. They took an anti-clockwise direction. She pointed to the first corridor on the left.  
  
"That's still the infirmary."  
  
"Is Kadowaki still here?" asked Selphie. Xu was quiet for a moment.  
  
"Oh, you must not have heard. She died three years ago. There's a new doctor now. His name is Doctor Khrig."   
  
"Oh. I didn't know. Sorry."  
  
"Hey, its ok, lets carry on with the tour." They continued walking.   
  
"That used to be the quad." She pointed.  
  
"What is it now?" asked Quistis.  
  
"It's our sports centre. The children here also have schooling here. So we turned it into a gym come sports field." She carried on walking.   
  
"Hey Xu? Where are all the children?"  
  
"Oh, some of the staff have taken them out on a day trip to the beach. Cid wanted it so that it was just the SeeDs and ex-students."  
  
"Oh right. And where is Nida?" Xu hesitated in answering.  
  
"He is still in Deling. He loved his job there, and I craved for Garden, so we spilt up."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that." Sympathised Quistis.  
  
"Ah, these things happen." she continued with the tour. "The cafeteria is still a cafeteria. The dorms are still dorms. The Car park is still…"  
  
"A car park?" enquired Rinoa. Xu laughed.  
  
"How did you ever guess?" then they came to the training centre. "Now this is the [I]piece de resistance[/I] of the new Garden. Follow me." The doors to the training centre opened. Inside the barbwire had gone, as had the security doors. Picnic benches were dotted around the place. There was a gentle bubbling of the brook and the trees whispered in the breeze. There were flowers everywhere of all descriptions, and high up in the trees, birds sang their song. It was a genuine Garden of Eden. The metallic floor had been hidden under layers of soil and grass. People were running around carrying trays of food and cutlery.  
  
"Isn't this a kind of dangerous place to have a picnic?" said Squall holding tightly onto Yannie.  
"We gave the monsters to a zoo years ago." She stood back. "Welcome to the Yannie Memorial Garden. Garden of Garden if you will."  
  
"It's truly beautiful said Rinoa, close to tears."  
  
"Ah, you haven't seen the best bit yet." She smiled and walked over to a control panel by the door. She punched in a few numbers, and looked up. Everyone else looked up at the grey metal ceiling. There was the crunch of gears, and suddenly a crack of light appeared. This crack grew bigger and bigger as the shutters opened. In a matter of minuets, the sun was shining down on to faces of the gathered.  
  
"Wow…" said Zell. The rest were gobsmacked.  
  
"I know. Isn't it amazing? Come on, I haven't shown you he rest yet. We're coming back here for the big party."  
  
"Daddy?" said Yannie. "Why are so many things with my name?"  
  
"I'll explain when you are older." Reluctantly, they left the Garden, and continued.  
  
"This is still the library." Said Xu, pointing to the blue door. "Upstairs are the classrooms, where I teach, and on the third floor is Cid and Edea's private residence."  
  
"What do you teach?"  
  
"Oh, everything. History, science, geography, current events…"  
  
"Do you still teach magic?" asked Squall.  
  
"Yes, but we only teach the students cure spells, life spells, and fire thunder and blizzard. There is a strong emphasis on only using magic to help, and as self-defence only. People may no longer hold a threat, but there are still the odd monsters."  
  
"Hey Zell…" a woman with pigtails walked past, fluttering her eyelashes.   
  
"Excuse me…" said Zell as he ran after her. "Hey, wait up!" Squall shook his head. [I]He hasn't changed a bit[/I]  
  
"Hello strangers." The group turned to see a familiar face. He walked with a stick, and a crescent shaped scar ran from his ear to his chin. Behind him was an elegant woman, dressed in red dress. The group saluted.  
  
"No, don't salute. I'm not your headmaster anymore." He laughed. Cid and Edea went around and shook everybody's hand. When Edea reached Rinoa, she hugged her.   
  
"There's someone I'd like you all to meet." Said Edea. "Tyler. Come meet mommy's friends." A boy about five years old ran towards Edea. She picked him up. He was dressed in black trousers and a smart waistcoat he obviously begrudged wearing. "Say hello."  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Yours?" said Selphie in amazement. Tyler looked at Yannie. She looked back at him and stuck out her tongue. He did the same.  
  
"Tyler!" said Edea. "That's rude." Yannie giggled. She put him down on the floor. "Is this your little girl?" Yannie held out her hand.   
  
"I'm Yannie Raine Leonheart."   
  
"That's a lovely name." Said Edea, shaking her hand.   
  
"Yeah, everyone always says that. But I don't know who Yannie is." Edea stood up.   
  
"Come, let us go to the Garden. I think they should have put on the banquet by now." The group followed, slowing down as to allow Cid to keep up.  
  
The banquet was more like a buffet. It was all you could eat, and Zell certainly made sure he had his share of hotdogs. The group all sat together. There were many children, including Yannie and Tyler. As the grown-ups talked, they ran around screaming in the sun. Yannie still wore Irvine's hat.   
  
"Grrr! I'm a monster!" shouted Tyler as he ran around Yannie. "And I'm going to eat your hat!"  
  
"No you're not. Because I'm a sorceress, and I'm going to turn you to stone!" she pointed her finger at him, and said, "ZAP!"   
  
"Ha ha! Missed me!"  
  
the children carried on playing, while the adults talked for what seemed like hours. Everyone told what he or she had done since the Garden break up.   
  
Zell had taken over the running of the Balamb Hotel when the owner had died. It was now a booming success due to the increased amounts of tourists taking their holidays there. And hotdogs were ALWAYS on the menu.  
  
Selphie had returned to Trabia Garden to help in its reconstruction. After much deliberation over what to turn it into, they had finally decided on a theme park come concert venue. It now hosted some of the world's top bands.   
  
Quistis had moved to Timber, she became a journalist at the Timber Maniacs, as a Media Correspondent, for timbers newly revamped television network. She had won the Journalist of the Year Award three years back for her stunning article on the safety of live TV sets, quoting the infamous Seifer incident.  
  
Irvine returned to Galbadia Garden, and helped in its running. The Galbadian military was long since dissolved. Galbadia Garden now trained 'Peace Mercenaries' Irvine's own idea. They were sent out to places in need of help, for whatever reason, be it natural disaster or monster attacks. He had met Selphie when he travelled to Trabia to see his favourite band 'The Esthar Dogs' live.   
  
Xu had gone to Deling with Nida to run the city, as General Caraway had absconded after the Yannie incident. However, Xu longed to be back at Balamb Garden, and knew they were hiring staff. She left, and Nida became General Nida. She commented on how he didn't turn up today because he would be too busy with his duties.   
  
But everyone was interested about Squall and Rinoa. Everyone commented on how much Yannie looked like Squall. And no one could fail to notice how much Squall's attitude had changed. Squall and Rinoa gave a brief synopsis of their life in Winhill, leaving out the suicide incident and nobody asked about the wristbands. But there was one person missing from the table. Gered. They had all noticed, but surprisingly, it was Rinoa who spoke first.   
  
"Has anyone seen Gered?" there were blank faces, and people shook their heads.  
  
"Yeah, I was wondering where he was." Said Zell.  
  
"He might turn up later." Said Irvine. After everyone had eaten enough, and even Zell had his fill of hot dogs, they made their way up to the plateau outside Garden. On the way there, Squall saw a group of three people. He recognised them as Seifer Raijin and Fujin, the old disciplinary committee.  
  
"Rinoa, give me a minute will you?" she nodded and waited holding Yannie's hand. Squall walked over to the group. "Hey Seifer." He said. Seifer turned and faced Squall.  
  
"Squall!" He said surprised. "What do you want?"  
  
"Its been many years Seifer." Seifer nodded in agreement.  
  
"Sure has."  
  
"Lets end this now." Squall held out his hand. Seifer looked at it suspiciously. Once satisfied this was a genuine peacemaking agreement, he shook it.  
  
"I'm too old for rivalries anyway." He laughed.  
  
"Too right." He agreed. Raijin and Fujin stood in disbelief. Two sworn enemies making peace after all these years.  
  
"Squall?" called Rinoa.  
  
"I've got to go." He said. "See you around some time."  
  
"See ya." Squall jogged over to Rinoa.  
  
"I'm very proud of you." She said taking his hand. Squall smiled.  
  
"I'm too old for rivalries." They made their way to the top of the plateau, Cid taking his time hobbling up. When they reached the top, they found they were not the first ones there. Kneeling beside the grave was Gered. He was pulling the weeds from the earth. Beside him was a bunch of flowers. He looked up, and wiped his brow.  
  
"Hey." He stood up brushing himself down. "Nice to see you all again." He meant it when he said it. "Just tidying up a bit." His face was aged beyond his years, and his eyes deeply set. "Sorry I wasn't there before. I got here late." He bent down and placed the flowers on the grave.   
  
"Hey Ged." Said Selphie. There was a bit of an awkward silence. Everyone paid their respects, and then they all talked about how they remembered her. They laughed about the jokes she used to make, and how she would always get so nervous in front of strangers. Everyone had a story to tell about the girl who saved the world. Rinoa bent down net to Yannie.  
  
"This girl was a very special girl. She saved the world, and she saved your mommy's life. That is who we named you after."  
  
"How did she save your life?"  
  
"I'll tell you when you are older." After a while, they left, and Gered listened to all their stories. He had spent a year just wondering around from place to place, feeling sorry for himself. Then he decided to take hold of his life. He moved to Esthar, and took a course in psychology at the university. He was now a fully trained grief councillor. That way, he felt as if he was helping people, and actually serving some purpose.   
  
The day was drawing to a close, and students were making their way home. At the main gate, there were hugs and tearful goodbyes. There were many 'Let's not loose touch again.' Especially between the girls. Yannie was asleep in Squall's arms. Gered shook his hand. Then he came to Rinoa. He hugged her to her surprise and whispered in her ear. "I know it wasn't your fault. I don't hate you." Then he got into his car and drove away. Rinoa felt as if a great weight had been lifted of her shoulders.   
  
They heard the toot of a horn, and a car drew up outside the gates. The window came down, and a voice said,  
  
"Do you need a ride?" It was Nida, and the question was directed at Xu.   
  
"Nida? I thought you weren't coming." He opened the door and got out.  
  
"Xu, I cant stop think about you. I was a fool to let you go so easily." He got down on one knee. From his pocket he produced a small box. He opened it up, and inside was a diamond ring. "Will you marry me?" Everyone was stunned.  
  
"Oh my? But how would this work out? You work in Deling, I work here."  
  
"We will make it work. I know you love me. So just say yes."  
  
"What can I say? Yes." She was all choked up as he placed the ring on her finger. He stood up and passionately kissed her. He shouted out.  
  
"You're all coming to the wedding!" everyone cheered. He helped Xu into the car, and got in himself. Everyone waved as the happy couple disappeared over the hill.   
  
One by one, everyone left. Squall Rinoa and Yannie caught their train home, and didn't arrive until one am next morning. Squall was wondering why Ellone hadn't turned up. He had just tucked Yannie into bed, already fast asleep, and Rinoa had crashed out on the couch, when there was a knock at the door. Squall opened it to see Ellone stood there.  
  
"Hey sis. Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Squall, come next door with me now. It's really important."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I can't explain, just come with me." She dragged Squall into the house next door. At the top of the table, with his back toward them was a man with long hair.   
  
"Who is this." Asked Squall. The man stood up, and faced the siblings. "Laguna?" Ellone smiled.  
  
"I told you it was urgent."  
  
"But, your dead." Squall was stunned.   
  
"Hello son." He said. He walked over to him. "I'm sorry I had to make you think I was dead, but there was no other way."  
  
"Wha…?" Squall was lost for words.  
  
"When I heard you had a child, I had to do something. I faked my own death. I was tired of being the leader, a position I never wanted. For the last year, I have been in hiding. Only two people have known my whereabouts. Kiros and Ward. If I had told you or your sister, I could have put you in danger. Now the dust has settled enough for me to go about living a normal life." He held out his hands. "I'm not expecting you to like me straight away, and if you tell me to leave, I will. But I want to make a start being the father, and grandfather I never was." Squall was absolutely flabbergasted. The dead had come to life in front of his very eyes.  
  
"Did you know about this." He asked Ellone.   
  
"Not until three o'clock this afternoon. By then you had gone." Laguna rubbed the back of his head.   
"So what now?"  
  
"Now," said Squall, holding out his hand. Laguna shook it. "We make a start."   



End file.
